EnviroPolitics Blog

Here is where east coast offshore-wind development is happening

By Frank Brill, EnviroPolitics Editor

Offshore wind energy is a rapidly growing sector in the United States, particularly along the eastern coastline. This region is ideal for wind energy due to its strong and consistent wind patterns.

Below we explore the status of offshore wind turbine installations, including projects that are operational, under construction, and those expected to begin soon.

Current Operational Projects

Block Island Wind Farm
- Developer: Deepwater Wind
- Location: Rhode Island
- Energy Generation: 30 MW
- Cost: $290 million
- Details: The first offshore wind farm in the U.S., operational since 2016, with five turbines providing power to about 17,000 homes.
Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) Pilot Project
- Developer: Dominion Energy
- Location: Virginia
- Energy Generation: 12 MW
- Cost: $300 million
- Details: A pilot project with two turbines, operational since 2020, serving as a precursor to a larger planned project.

Projects Under Construction

Revolution Wind
- Developer: Ørsted and Eversource
- Location: Rhode Island and Connecticut
- Energy Generation: 704 MW
- Cost: $2.8 billion
- Details: Expected to be operational by 2026, with 65 turbines providing power to 350,000 homes ¹.
- 2. Vineyard Wind 1
- Developer: Vineyard Wind LLC
- Location: Massachusetts
- Energy Generation: 800 MW
- Cost: $2.3 billion
- Details: The first large-scale offshore wind project in the U.S., expected to be operational by 2024, with 62 turbines.

Projects Expected to Begin Construction Within 12 Months

Skipjack Wind Farm
- Developer: Ørsted
- Location: Delaware
- Energy Generation: 120 MW
- Cost: $720 million
- Details: Expected to start construction in early 2025, with 15 turbines.

Table of Offshore Wind Projects

Project Name	Developer(s)	Status	Energy Generation (MW)	Cost (USD)	Expected Operation Year
Block Island Wind Farm	Deepwater Wind	Operational	30	$290 million	2016
CVOW Pilot Project	Dominion Energy	Operational	12	$300 million	2020
Revolution Wind	Ørsted, Eversource	Under Construction	704	$2.8 billion	2026
Vineyard Wind 1	Vineyard Wind LLC	Under Construction	800	$2.3 billion	2024
Skipjack Wind Farm	Ørsted	Planned	120	$720 million	2025

East coast offshore wind development is evolving. The data used here may change in the future. We hope our summary will be helpful for now. If you believe that any of our data is incorrect, please let us know. – EnviroPolitics Editor

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NJ offshore wind leases dumped by Ørsted may be snapped up

By Jon Hurdle for NJ Spotlight

When Ørsted abandoned its plans for a massive wind farm off the Jersey Shore, it was a major blow to the Murphy administration and its promise of more renewable energy serving the state by 2040.

But the energy developer’s exit does not represent a total loss, as it readies to sell its ocean leases amid signs of strong demand from developers.

According to industry analysts and others, the offshore wind industry is poised to buy up the ocean leases that could generate enough power for some 1 million New Jersey homes,

One or more developer is now expected to acquire the leases that would have allowed Ørsted to create its Ocean Wind 1 and 2 projects about 15 miles off the coast of South Jersey in what would have been the state’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farms.

The Danish wind giant’s shocking withdrawal on Halloween last year was a major setback for the Murphy administration’s plan to install 11 gigawatts of carbon-emissions-free offshore wind power — enough to power more than 8 million homes — by 2040, prompting Gov. Phil Murphy to blast the decision as “outrageous.” It now seems unlikely that New Jersey will be able to meet that deadline given the long lead time and high cost of building wind farms.

But wind industry sources predict that new developers will soon offer to buy the leases, drawn by slowing inflation, lower expected interest rates, and more attractive terms for offshore wind power now offered by New Jersey regulators.

“The economics for offshore wind have been changing for the past year or so,” said Kris Ohleth, executive director of the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind, a consultant to the industry. “If there’s an opportunity out there, developers are going to have a keen interest in getting into the market.”

Read the full story here

If you liked this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Please do not take our word for it, try it free for a full month.

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Gulf of Maine may be next site for offshore wind energy leases

University of Maine’s 9,000-pound prototype wind turbine generates power off the coast of Castine, Maine. It was the country’s first floating wind turbine.

By Peter McGuire, NHPR

The federal government is preparing to sell offshore wind power plots in the Gulf of Maine after determining that leasing the area would not harm the environment.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said that installing buoys and conducting surveys to assess leases across one million acres of ocean would have no significant environmental impact.

The actual installation of offshore turbines would require separate environmental reviews, according to the bureau.

But the report opens the door to a sale by the end of the year for eight lease areas off Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

The agency said the areas could produce enough energy to power 5 million homes.

In a statement, bureau director Elizabeth Klein said it is committed to developing wind power “in a manner that reduces potential impacts on other ocean activities and the surrounding ecosystem.”

The state of Maine has already leased a small parcel in the Gulf to test floating wind turbines.

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‘Historic’ offshore wind plans touted by New England states

By Christian Wade, The Center Square

On Friday, Massachusetts and Rhode Island jointly announced that they plan to procure a total of 2,678 megawatts of offshore wind power spread across all three projects that submitted bids earlier this year, which, when completed, will be capable of providing enough electricity to power more than 1.4 million homes, when the wind is blowing.

Under the plan, Massachusetts has selected 1,087 MW of the 1,287 MW SouthCoast Wind project, with the remaining 200 MW going to Rhode Island. Massachusetts also selected New England Wind 1, a 719 MW project, and seeks up to 800 MW of wind power from the Vineyard Wind 2 project, officials said.

Details of the contracts, such as the price tag and how much of those costs would be passed along to energy consumers, weren’t disclosed. The projects are also subject to negotiations between utilities and the developers.

The joint procurement is part of a broader regional strategy along the East Coast to address energy and climate issues rather than a state-by-state approach. Some states, like New Jersey, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, have struggled to go it alone on offshore wind and have ended up scraping projects.

Read the full story here

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Wind auction opens door to 3 projects for Mass. and Rhode Island

*The five turbines of the Block Island Wind Farm off the coast of Rhode Island.*

By Miriam Wasser – WBUR

Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island announced the winners of their joint offshore wind procurement Friday.

The three selected projects are expected to produce 2,878 megawatts of electricity — or about what it takes to power 1.6 million homes. It’s considerably less than the 6,800 megawatts the states set out to procure.

Massachusetts customers will get the vast majority of electricity from the projects, 2,678 megawatts, and Rhode Island customers will get 200 megawatts. Connecticut, which was also part of the multi-state process, did not select any projects. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Connecticut officials are still evaluating projects and will announce “a final decision” at a future date.

Despite the lackluster size of the projects, government officials touted the results as great news, noting that it represents the largest offshore wind procurement to date in New England, and it will help the region sever its dependence on fuels like natural gas, which contribute to climate change.

Read the full story here

Related wind energy news:
New England offshore wind auction draws multiple bidders

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NJ offers new website to assist solar development of landfill sites

New Website Will Streamline Transformation of Unusable Land into Clean Energy Sites

A 2.66 megawatt solar panel farm along the Old Erie Canal in New York state was constructed in an old landfill.
(N. Scott Trimble | syracuse.com)

From the NJ Department of Environmental Protection

TRENTON – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Wednesday announced the launch of a new website that will serve as a one-stop shop to guide municipalities and solar developers as they plan, fund, and complete solar plus landfill capping projects.

The Governor also signed legislation, A4619/S3479, enhancing the Historic Property Reinvestment Act and the Brownfields Redevelopment Incentive Program Act to support historic preservation and further incentivize the redevelopment of brownfields across New Jersey into new solar energy facilities.

“In New Jersey, we have set the ambitious goal of delivering a 100 percent green economy because we know how important it is to build a strong foundation for renewable energy, combating the imminent threat of climate change and propelling our state forward. My Administration has pursued innovative strategies to reduce our carbon footprint by shifting away from fossil fuels and uplifting renewable resources. These policies represent an investment into our residents and our communities by prioritizing public health, spurring economic development, and creating good-paying jobs, said Governor Murphy.

“With the launch of the Landfill to Solar website, we are putting all our resources in one place so municipalities and developers can leverage otherwise unusable land into renewable energy sites. We are also expanding tax credits under the Economic Development Authority’s Historic Property Reinvestment Act and Brownfields Redevelopment Program Act so that we can preserve New Jersey’s communities while promoting environmental cleanup and green energy production. Today’s bill signing will ensure future generations can celebrate the rich history of our state while living in a greener, healthier environment.”

The new Landfill to Solar website, created by the Governor’s Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy, brings together resources from New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities (BPU), Economic Development Authority (EDA), and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to provide both municipal governments and solar developers with a step-by-step guide to initiating and completing solar projects.

The site highlights DEP’s Solar Siting Analysis Mapping Tool to help identify eligible landfill sites in municipalities across New Jersey and provides streamlined instructions on how to apply for incentive programs made available through the state. This includes EDA’s Brownfields Redevelopment Incentive Program Act as well as BPU’s Community Solar Energy Program (CSEP) and Competitive Solar Incentive (CSI) program. New Jersey’s solar programs provide incentives tailored to the needs of different projects, further enabling the continued growth of the solar industry at a lower cost to ratepayers. At their September 4 board meeting, BPU adopted rules for the permanent Community Solar Energy Program and proposed changes to allow for the co-location of projects on uncapped, municipally-owned landfills up to a total size of 10-megawatts.

Read the full news release here

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