I got the best birthday present this year I could ever ask for. On Monday July 27, 2015, construction broke ground on the first ever off-shore wind park in the United States. It will be a small 30 mw wind park made up of 5 turbines off of Block Island, which is between Rhode Island and the tip of Long Island. It will supply enough energy to power about 17,000 homes mostly on Block Island, without use of fossil fuels. Many congratulations are due to Deepwater Wind for all their work in securing the proper location, approvals, and financing to achieve this major accomplishment.

While there are wind farms on land in the U.S., and there have been several other offshore projects in the works in other states such as Massachusetts and Maryland (plus a failed attempt off L.I.), this is the first project to actually begin construction offshore. This project follows in a long line of offshore wind farms in other countries such as Denmark (which I wrote about visiting four years ago on this blog), England, and China. Proposed in 2009, there is still an offshore wind farm in the works closer to the New York City area by the NY Power Authority. Let’s hope it happens soon, so we can continue to create electricity while achieving reductions in greenhouse gases and protecting our climate.

To hear my interview with Clint Plummer of Deepwater Wind last summer, go the “Listen to Past Shows” section of this website’s radio show page.