“American offshore wind power is one step closer to becoming a reality, with installation of the first turbines at Deepwater Wind’s Block Island project now complete.

Deepwater

“Construction on the country’s first offshore wind farm began last spring, off the coast of Rhode Island, and the project is expected to be fully operational later this fall.

“With an installed capacity of 30 megawatts, the five-turbine Deepwater Wind wind farm will generate enough electricity to supply all of Block Island’s needs, while also sending some to mainland Rhode Island. This will be a clean, affordable and welcome development for Block Island’s residents, who have long had to rely on imported, expensive and polluting diesel fuel for energy.

“‘Today’s turbine installation shows that offshore wind power is a real, viable option for states along the coast to transition to clean energy,’ said Miles Grant, a National Wildlife Federation spokesman. ‘This can and must be the beginning of something big – a new clean energy chapter for America that can create thousands of jobs and protect wildlife and communities from the dangers of climate change.’

“Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo also celebrated the milestone, tweeting:

Raimondo

“This progress is happening at a time when support for growing wind power has never been higher: 91 percent of likely voters want to expand wind energy, according to a recent poll. And this support is truly bipartisan, with 82 percent of self-described conservatives saying they think transitioning to a clean energy economy is important.

“Stay tuned for more updates on Deepwater Wind’s progress on this historic project throughout the fall.”

To read the full story by Greg Alvarez from Into The Wind, click the link below:

http://www.aweablog.org/one-step-closer-first-american-offshore-wind-turbine-installed/