Two sizable offshore wind farms are the first in the US to have their turbines supply electricity to the grid.
The first electricity from a single turbine at the 62-turbine wind farm that will be located 15 miles (24 kilometers) off the coast of Massachusetts was announced on Wednesday by Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the project's joint owners.
Five turbines have been installed. About five megawatts of electricity were supplied to the Massachusetts grid by a single turbine just before midnight on Wednesday night. By the start of the year, the remaining four—which are currently undergoing testing—should be operational.
Last month, the Danish wind energy developer Ørsted and the utility Eversource revealed that the first of their planned 12-turbine wind farms, South Fork Wind, located 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of Montauk Point, New York, and was producing electricity. Five turbines in all have now been placed there.
According to Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra, 2023 will be a momentous year for offshore wind, with steel in the water and people working. Today, we welcome 2024 by bringing the first clean offshore wind electricity to the grid in Massachusetts, marking the start of a new chapter. The main office of the electricity provider, Avangrid, is located in Orange, Connecticut. Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is a major fund manager that leads the world in investments related to renewable energy.
The decision to shift away from fossil fuels that warm the world was taken by over 200 nations last month at COP28, the first time such a significant commitment has been made in decades of UN climate negotiations. According to the agreement, the amount of renewable energy used must be tripled; offshore wind will be essential to achieving this goal.
