Nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind project
OVERVIEW
Vineyard Wind is currently building the nation's first utility-scale offshore wind energy project over 15 miles off the coast of Massachusetts. The project will generate clean, renewable, affordable energy for over 400,000 homes and businesses across the Commonwealth, while reducing carbon emissions by over 1.6 million tons per year.
LOCATION
Vineyard Wind 1 is located in federal wind energy area OCS-A-0501, 15 miles south of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and 35 miles from mainland Massachusetts. The location was determined through a multi-year, intergovernmental task force process, which carefully considered scientific data and public input. This area boasts powerful, reliable wind speeds and ideal site conditions to support wind turbines.
Power Generation
Vineyard Wind 1 will consist of an array of 62 wind turbines, spaced 1 nautical mile apart on an east-west and north south orientation. The turbines are General Electric Haliade-X turbines, each capable of generating 13 megawatts of electricity. Electricity generated by the turbines is collected by an offshore substation prior to being transmitted to shore. Vineyard Wind 1 will generate 800 megawatts of electricity and power over 400,000 homes, an equivalent of removing 325,000 vehicles from roadways.
TRANSMISSION
Two submarine cables will be installed along a carefully sited route from the offshore substation to the landing point onshore at Covell’s Beach in Barnstable. Submarine cables are buried up to six feet below the seafloor using a jetplow. The route was selected after extensive geological surveys of the area to avoid sensitive habitats. The onshore cables will be buried beneath public roadways in Barnstable. Read more about our work in Barnstable here.
Connection to the New England Grid
From the onshore cable landing site, the cables will be installed underground along public roads to an onshore substation in the village of Hyannis. The Vineyard Wind 1 onshore substation will be adjacent to an existing Eversource substation.
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