Climate Experts Applaud as US Government Approves Largest Offshore Wind Farm in Nation's History

Climate scientists were among those who applauded the Biden administration Tuesday as the Interior Department announced the approval of the United States’ first large-scale offshore wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts.

The farm will include up to 84 turbines near Martha’s Vineyard and will generate enough energy to power 400,000 homes with 800 megawatts of electricity, far more than the two existing wind farms currently operating in the United States. 

“We’ve waited a long time for this moment, and it will be crucial to keep momentum going beyond the starting blocks.”
—Johanna Neumann, Environment America

“A clean energy future is within our grasp in the United States. The approval of this project is an important step toward advancing the administration’s goals to create good-paying union jobs while combating climate change and powering our nation,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland of the project, which is called Vineyard Wind. “Today is one of many actions we are determined to take to open the doors of economic opportunity to more Americans.”

The project’s approval “signals the new administration’s commitment to scientific process and is a really promising sign for clean energy to come,” said John Rogers, a senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

“The wind off our coasts has the potential to help us drastically reduce carbon emissions from our electricity use, while helping us meet coastal states’ large power needs and drive economic development on the coasts and beyond,” said Rogers. “Today’s decision signals that the U.S. offshore wind journey is now well and truly underway.”

Vineyard Wind is one of several proposals for offshore wind farms that the Biden administration intends to act on in the next few years. By 2025, the White House plans to review 13 other potential projects aimed at meeting President Joe Biden’s stated goal of powering about 10 million homes using offshore wind by 2030.

The administration could eventually place as many as 3,000 wind turbines along the East Coast.

Johanna Neumann, senior director of the Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy at Environment America, expressed hope that Vineyard Wind’s approval will be “akin to the firing of a starting gun,” setting off a wave of construction of offshore wind farms:

“We’ve waited a long time for this moment, and it will be crucial to keep momentum going beyond the starting blocks,” added Neumann. “We look forward to working with state and federal leaders to drive continued ambition and progress toward crossing the finish line of powering our lives with clean renewable offshore wind.”

Labor leaders applauded the Interior Department for approving a plan aimed at creating 3,600 green union jobs. 

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