CEAC-2021-04-April

News
Biden Hopes to Boost Offshore Wind as
Massachusetts Project Advances
By Matthew Daly and Patrick Whittle | Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — A huge wind farm off the Massachusetts
coast is edging closer to federal approval, setting up
what the Biden administration hopes will be a model for a
sharp increase in offshore wind energy development along
the East Coast.
The Vineyard Wind project, south of Martha’s Vineyard near
Cape Cod, would create 800 megawatts of electricity, enough
to power 400,000 homes in New England. If approved, the
$2 billion project would be the first utility-scale wind power
development in federal waters. A smaller wind farm operates
near Block Island in waters controlled by the state of Rhode
Island.
Vineyard Wind is significantly farther offshore than Cape
Wind, a previous Massachusetts offshore wind project that
famously failed amid opposition from the Kennedy family
and businessman William Koch, among others, who considered
it a bird-killing eyesore in their ocean views.
Supporters say Vineyard Wind, located nearly 15 miles (24
kilometers) offshore, is better situated than Cape Wind and
uses superior technology with fewer and larger turbine
blades. Under a preferred alternative being considered, the
project’s giant turbines will be located at least 1 nautical mile
apart, allowing fishing boats easier movement around the
blades, officials said.
The Interior Department said Monday it has completed an
environmental analysis of Vineyard Wind, with a decision on
whether to approve the project expected in April.
President Joe Biden has vowed to double offshore wind production
by 2030 as part of his administration’s efforts to slow
climate change. The likely approval of Vineyard Wind — one
of two dozen offshore wind projects along the East Coast in
varying stages of development — marks a sharp turnaround
from the Trump administration, which stymied wind power
both onshore and in the ocean, as president Donald Trump
frequently derided wind power as an expensive, bird-slaughtering
way to make electricity, and his administration resisted
or opposed wind projects nationwide, including Vineyard
Wind.
The project’s developer temporarily withdraw its application
late last year in a bid to stave off possible rejection by the
Trump administration. Biden provided a fresh opening for
the project soon after taking office in January.
“The United States is poised to become a global clean energy
leader,” said Laura Daniel Davis, a senior Interior Department
official.
Vineyard Wind, which is slated to become operational in
2023, is the first of many offshore wind projects that will
help the nation “combat climate change, improve resilience
through reliable power and spur economic development to
create good-paying jobs,” said Amanda Lefton, director of
the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, an Interior agency
that oversees the project.
“The Biden administration is putting wind back in the sails of
this vital new industry,” said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., a longtime
cheerleader for the Vineyard Wind project. “Responsible
development of wind off our coast (will) energize the
economy, provide affordable electricity and move us further
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| Chief Engineer