Fueling
change with offshore wind
can invigorate communities.
Severe weather events from flooding to wildfires and hurricanes are becoming ever more common across the world, and scientists have made stark warnings about what can be expected if global temperatures continue to rise.
Reducing emissions in the production of energy is one of the most urgent climate issues to be addressed, and one in which coastal wind resources have a positive role to play.
“Iberdrola has built a tremendous portfolio of offshore wind projects across the globe, and now AVANGRID is leading the way in the U.S. with the construction of Vineyard Wind 1 and our 5,000 megawatts (MW) portfolio of projects on the East Coast,” said Ignacio Galán, Chairman and CEO of Iberdrola and Chairman of AVANGRID. “We’re well positioned to help the U.S. meet its goal of 30,000 MW by 2030 and accelerate the transition to a sustainable energy future.”
The value of offshore wind
Offshore wind is one of the most powerful clean energy solutions available. In certain locations, including the Northeastern U.S. , geography and technology combine to make offshore wind highly cost-effective. With the right technology and construction, the oceans offer huge potential to generate many thousands of megawatts of clean energy. That potential is embodied by Vineyard Wind 1, the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the country, located 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard off the Massachusetts coast. Now under construction, Vineyard Wind 1 represents a huge step forward for the transition to green energy in the U.S.
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Click the turbines to discover how much power Vineyard Wind 1 produces.
Enough power will be produced to:
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Enough power will be produced to:
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Enough power will be produced to:
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The 62-turbine project will create 3,800 jobs with a capacity of 806 megawatts — enough power for 400,000 homes and the equivalent of removing 325,000 vehicles from the road. The project is more than 25 times the size of the largest offshore wind farm currently operating in the U.S., which was built in 2016. Vineyard Wind 1 is the first phase of an enormous effort that includes AVANGRID's Park City Wind and Commonwealth Wind. These projects, all located in the same waters leased from the federal government, will have a total capacity of 2,800 MW of electricity.
An ideal setting for
offshore wind technology
Onshore wind farms make sense in regions rich in open land, such as the Midwest. But in heavily developed areas like the Northeast, setting turbines offshore is more feasible — and more productive. Using the ocean’s natural wind and weather patterns, offshore wind farms churn out power regularly and are especially effective during “peak load” periods. Meaning on the hottest and coldest days of the year, when air conditioners and heating units are cranked up, Vineyard Wind 1 will generate more power. Currently the region depends on fossil fuels to meet peak demand. “Offshore wind is a key solution to meet the energy and economic challenges facing states like Massachusetts and Connecticut, while generating new supply chain investments and creating local jobs,” said Chairman Galán.
Tapping that energy demands technology, namely fixed-bottom wind turbines, which consist of turbines atop cylinder-like structures that are anchored to the ocean floor. Europe has been perfecting this approach for about three decades, and it’s ideal for the relatively shallow waters off the East Coast. Wind energy is ferried ashore and into local communities via cable transmission lines, which will be buried underwater.
Fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines
Green energy
powering communities
The project is also making a difference in local communities. As catalyzed by AVANGRID’s Commonwealth Wind package, and a purchasing agreement between AVANGRID and Prysmian, an Italian cable systems manufacturing company, Prysmian will build a local manufacturing facility at Brayton Point, in Somerset, MA, where an idle tract of waterfront land once held the largest coal-burning power plant in New England. AVANGRID also plans to redevelop Salem Harbor, a deep-water port, to provide a marshaling port for New England's fast-growing offshore wind industry. Together, these two workforce development efforts will create hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs and spark new businesses to supply and service the new clean energy industry.
Those jobs will require training, of course. Backed by funding from AVANGRID, local community colleges are set to lead certification and training programs for work on offshore wind vessels. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, which has a long history of providing U.S. Coast Guard and international maritime standard training, is preparing workers on matters of safety and sea survival. “Working on an offshore wind turbine can be difficult,” says Captain Mike Burns, director of the Academy’s Center for Maritime Training. “We train mariners, facilities engineers, energy systems engineers and maritime business personnel. It’s exciting to see the country’s moving in the right direction in terms of renewable and sustainable energy, and that the Academy has the opportunity to train the staff that works on it.” Already, about 200 participants have completed the Academy’s Global Wind Organization safety training course.
Interview — 05.25.22
It’s a combination of the cable, the engineering, vessel, anD installation method that make a difference.
Two 500-foot cooling towers at Brayton Point’s former coal-fired power plant — the last such facility in Massachusetts — have already been demolished to make way offshore wind resources. For Galán, it’s exactly the kind of progress needed at this pivotal moment.
“AVANGRID is ready to pioneer this new industry in the United States, and make a real impact on the energy transformation and fight against climate change,” said Galán.
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