Offshore wind delivers first electrons to Massachusetts grid

JAN. 3, 2024…..About seven and a half years after state policymakers began seriously pursuing the cleaner generation source and following a bumpy road full of delays, the grid that powers Massachusetts received the first electrons generated by offshore wind late Tuesday night.

One turbine of the Vineyard Wind 1 project delivered approximately five megawatts of power at 11:52 p.m. Tuesday, project co-owners Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) announced Wednesday morning. Eventually, the wind farm about 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard is expected to have 62 turbines capable of generating just more than 800 MW of power. The project’s energy comes ashore at a grid interconnection point in Barnstable.

The transmission of “first power,” as limited as it was and coming later than had been expected, was roundly celebrated Wednesday by elected officials, clean energy advocates and others. Gov. Maura Healey called Wednesday’s announcement “a historic moment for the American offshore wind industry.”

“Soon, Vineyard Wind will be producing power equivalent of over 400,000 Massachusetts households,” the governor said. “As we look ahead, Massachusetts is on a path toward energy independence thanks to our nation-leading work to stand up the offshore wind industry.”

Massachusetts now is the second state in the country, following New York, to get electricity from a major offshore wind development.

“This truly is a milestone for offshore wind and the entire renewable industry in North America,” Tim Evans, partner at CIP, said. He added, “By delivering first power, we have broken new ground and shown a viable path forward with power that is renewable, locally produced, and affordable. Much of the credit for this milestone must go to our local partners, labor leaders and the project’s skilled union workforce, and local communities from New Bedford to Barnstable.”

Project developers said the first megawatts transmitted to the grid came “as part of the initial commissioning process” and said there is “additional testing expected to happen both on and offshore in the coming weeks.”

Vineyard Wind 1 expects it will have five of its 62 turbines operating at full capacity “early in 2024.” Each turbine is capable of generating 13 MW of power.

On Tuesday, after missing its self-imposed target of delivering first power by the end of 2023, a project spokesman clarified the timeline a top official gave last year for full commercial operations. The full 806 MW wind farm is now expected to be fully operational “in 2024” opposed to the more specific “mid-2024” target shared in August.

Once it is fully operational, Vineyard Wind 1 is projected to produce at least 3,600 jobs, reduce costs for Massachusetts ratepayers by an estimated $1.4 billion over 20 years, and eliminate 1.68 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

Vineyard Wind 1 was the first offshore wind project selected by Massachusetts utility companies with input from the Baker administration to fulfill part of a 2016 clean energy law, and is likely to be the only Massachusetts offshore wind project to become a reality until at least 2028. Subsequent projects have run into headwinds that developers determined threatened their ability to finance their projects and resulted in the termination of those contracts.

That Vineyard Wind 1 would be constructed at all has not always been a sure thing and the project has had to navigate choppy waters to get to this point.

Project developers originally planned to financially close on the project and begin on-shore construction work in 2019, put the first turbine into the seabed in 2021 and begin generating electricity in 2022.

But under the Trump administration, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the summer of 2019 decided to undertake a broad study of the potential impacts of offshore wind projects planned up and down the East Coast, holding up a key permit approval for Vineyard Wind 1.

After meetings between the U.S. Department of the Interior, Baker and members of the Congressional delegation proved fruitless, Vineyard Wind announced on Dec. 1 of that year that it was pulling its project out of the federal review pipeline. The Trump administration declared the federal review of the project “terminated.”

But Vineyard Wind’s decision to yank its plan from review also meant the project’s ultimate fate would not be decided under Trump, who frequently expressed concerns about wind power and held the project back while his administration looked into impacts that the burgeoning industry could have on commercial fishing.

Less than a month into Joe Biden’s presidency, in February 2021, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced that it was resuming the federal review of the Vineyard Wind 1 project from the point at which the developer withdrew it. By May of 2021, the Biden administration had approved the project’s construction and operations plan and cleared the way for construction to begin.

And the Bay State had a previous foray into offshore wind. The 130-turbine wind farm known as Cape Wind, which won federal approval in 2010 and was expected for a time to be the first offshore wind development in the country, was called off in 2017 after years of wrangling and opposition to its location at Horseshoe Shoal within Nantucket Sound. The federal government and energy developers after that began to focus on bigger projects in waters further offshore.

A slew of elected officials provided quotes for Avangrid and CIP’s press release Wednesday:

Gov. Maura Healey of Arlington: “This is a historic moment for the American offshore wind industry. Soon, Vineyard Wind will be producing power equivalent of over 400,000 Massachusetts households. This is clean, affordable energy made possible by the many advocates, public servants, union workers, and business leaders who worked for decades to accomplish this achievement. As we look ahead, Massachusetts is on a path toward energy independence thanks to our nation-leading work to stand up the offshore wind industry.”

House Speaker Ronald Mariano of Quincy: “This announcement is a historic step towards ensuring that the Commonwealth plays its role in combating the climate crisis and is representative of the enormous potential that Massachusetts has to be a regional hub for the offshore wind industry. I want to thank the folks behind the Vineyard Wind project for their commitment to delivering clean energy to the people of Massachusetts, as well as my colleagues in the House and our partners in state government who helped to make this milestone a reality.”

Senate President Karen Spilka of Ashland: “It is heartening to see the Vineyard Wind 1 project take this meaningful step forward towards supplying clean to the Commonwealth’s grid. I look forward to seeing the project continue to come fully online, as Massachusetts continues to set an example for innovative solutions to solving the climate crisis.”

Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues of Westport: “This is a historic day for the Commonwealth, as we take the first step towards transitioning to the energy of the future! We now can realize the investment that Massachusetts has made in offshore wind to yield tangible results in the form of real electrons. Vineyard Wind’s clean and affordably priced electricity will benefit my constituents on the Southcoast, and all residents of the Commonwealth for years to come.”

Sen. Julian Cyr of Truro: “Today marks a historic moment for Massachusetts, and indeed the nation. Vineyard Wind is now delivering clean energy to the grid produced right off our shores! This milestone is a testament to the achievements we can reach through collaboration, persistence, and a dedication to a green future. Cape Codders and Islanders are proud to pave the way for continued advancement of a clean energy future in Massachusetts powered by offshore wind, one that’s critical to saving our planet and coastal communities.”

House Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Roy of Franklin: “This represents a historic milestone and celebrates an important step for the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the United States. And it all started with the foresight of now-Speaker Mariano and the House to see the incredible potential of the offshore wind industry to combat climate change, drive economic growth, and generate clean, affordable energy. I applaud the Vineyard Wind project and the Commonwealth’s many partners in industry and labor who have worked tirelessly to transform this vision into reality.”

Rep. Tony Cabral of New Bedford: “New Bedford has invested a great deal of its time, energy, and manpower into supporting the successful launch of the offshore wind industry in Massachusetts. As a community that understands the power of the ocean better than most, with this first transmission of power from the Vineyard Wind I project, that commitment and long-term vision has been realized. We are, once again, “the city that lights the world” and look forward to more turbines coming on-line as this collaboration between public and private partners energizes the next chapter in New Bedford’s maritime development.”

Rep. Christopher Markey of Dartmouth: “This is a wonderful story, however it is truly just the beginning of a tremendous story to come. There are too many people to thank, but Vineyard Wind’s trust in Massachusetts should be acknowledged and appreciated. Congratulations to Vineyard Wind’s determination and success.”

Rep. Christopher Hendricks of New Bedford: “We’re thrilled that the first power from the Vineyard Wind Project has made its way to the Massachusetts grid. This is a monumental victory for climate mitigation; not just in New Bedford and Massachusetts, but the country too. As Vineyard Wind 1 turbines continue to come online, we will remain committed to working with the Healey-Driscoll administration and our partners at the federal level to deliver more green energy solutions.”

Rep. Dylan Fernandes of Falmouth: “This is a pivotal moment in our fight against climate change. As clean, renewable wind power flows to Massachusetts homes for the first time, we are making tangible progress toward our climate goals while also putting hundreds of local community members to work.”

Rep. Sarah Peake of Provincetown: “Cape Cod is extremely vulnerable to climate change and sea level rise, and therefore it is fitting that our region will lead the nation in the development of offshore wind to green our electric grid. The Vineyard Wind 1 project will provide affordable, renewable electricity that can power Massachusetts for years to come. A win for the climate and ratepayers.”

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell: “I congratulate Vineyard Wind on this important, hard-won milestone, demonstrating yet again that offshore wind in America is real, and that the Port of New Bedford well-suited to support the industry. This is a great way to kick off 2024.”

In its own press release, Conservation Law Foundation President Bradley Campbell said, “This is a historic moment that’s been years in the making. It’s proof positive that New England’s transition away from polluting fossil fuels and towards clean, renewable energy is underway in earnest. We must now quadruple the rate of clean energy deployment, and New England is where it can be done responsibly.” CLF said it’s “been at the table to ensure these projects are built responsibly and limit harm to marine life and the fishing industry. Most importantly, project ships need to slow down to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.”