Vineyard Wind developers say that the first turbine in its offshore wind project has been installed.
Avangrid officials released a statement on last week saying that the turbine — which they say is the largest in the Western world — has the capacity to produce 13 Megawatts, or enough to power more than 6,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts.
“This is a monumental achievement, and a proud day for offshore wind in the United States that proves this industry is real, and demonstrates Avangrid’s steadfast commitment to helping the Northeast region meet its clean energy and climate goals,” Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra says in a release. “This is a landmark for this first-in-the-nation project and the industry.”
The final $4 billion project will consist of 62 wind turbines generating 806 megawatts, enough to power more than 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts.
A Vineyard Wind spokesperson says they plan to begin delivering power to the grid by the end of the year. Avangrid officials, who are developing the project, earlier this year set a timeline for October. A spokesperson could not be reached.
Avangrid is building turbines that are about 850 feet tall, from base to the tip of the blades. For comparison, these turbines will stand nearly triple the size of the Statue of Liberty (305 feet tall), and a little under the height of the Eiffel Tower (1,063 feet tall).
Vineyard Wind has been laying undersea cables that will connect the wind turbines with onshore electrical infrastructure in Barnstable. In early September, parts for the turbines were shipped out of a New Bedford port to the construction site.
I’ll ask the obvious; is it visible from the south shore?
I was on south beach in Katama
( the closest point to them) a few weeks ago
and saw something — perhaps the assembly
ship. Of course, we don’t have information about
where in the array this particular one is.
The furthest ones are about 30 miles from Katama.
We will not see them.
Perhaps the editor here could give us a comment
about that ?
Yes, all the sources of power should be visible to all of us.
Most of the Louisiana coast gets to look at all that oil infrastructure.
At least the windmills can’t ooze large amounts of black goo.
Very visible. I just hope the bright night lights go away.
Mark– Have you been to Katama to see for yourself ?
I was just there. I don’t know what you
think “very visible” is, but what I saw was
some towers that are about the width of
a needle about 1/2 inch high on the horizon.
I don’t know where exactly in the array they
are but they are not the furthest ones.
Unless you believe the earth is flat, the math
for those of us who believe the science that tells
us the visibility of objects on the horizon is
pretty clear.
http://www.totally-cuckoo.com/distance_visible_to_the_horizon.htm
Just in case you can’t comprehend the
chart that I link to above, let me explain.
The nacelles are at a height of about 500 ft.
That means that the furthest ones will be below
the horizon. I could not discern the blades on
any of the towers I could see, although I know
the blades are on at least one of them .
As for the lights– You have read my comments
here about that before.
Time to stuff that one.
But just for those that don’t know.
There will be two 3 watt red led lights on the
top of the nacelles and 3 more on the tower itself
about 1/2 of the way down. The one’s on the
towers should all be below the horizon.
Again, refer to the table above.
They will only turn on when an aircraft gets
within 10 miles of them. According to FAA data ,
they will be on for about 5 hours per year.
I have not verified that 5 hour figure,
but given what the
opponents of this project come up with,
I could be off by a factor of 20 and I wouldn’t
really care. How about you take some time
and prove me wrong ? You can do it, Mark–
take it upon yourself to find out the lighting.
I’m sure you can find some fake video on
some lying website where some lying liar
will convince you that there will be bright lights
on them.
Then, offer me some easy money, and after
all these are up if there are bright white
lights up there that are drowning out the
Milky Way I will honor a wager if I lose it up to
$100 — just to keep it friendly.
Perhaps if you are really worried about the
bright lights, you should petition your
town to ban Christmas lighting, as the average
outdoor lighting of a decorated house will
put out the equivalent light of a few thousand
windmills.
Let’s have a rational discussion, OK ?
I would appreciate it .
I love you don keller
Have you ever been on the Gulf Coast? It’s hard to not see oil production infrastructure.
Wind mills do no need lights to produce electricity.
They will not be on during the day.
They will have lights on at night, just like lighthouses, boats, and some buoys.
Do you object to the East and West Chop lights? The windmills will be less bright.
Do you object to all the lights on a tanker truck, and noise?
Interesting– I remember just last winter one of
our more renowned soothsayers told us this would
never happen because funding would fall through.
And that person was quite certain about it, as they
claim to be a genius when it comes to economics
and financing. Oh well — everybody is wrong once
in a while. I’m sure they will not be deterred from
soothsaying future events as soon as Joe Biden announces
that John Fetterman will be his running mate in the
2024 election and proves them right. Not that Joe
Biden will ever make it as long as 4 years as president.
I also feel really good about the super lucky
right whales. V.W has most if not all of its foundations
in, I am sure some of the monopoles up , and now this.
And what do you know ? Not a single right whale has
died so far. Not only that— the sun is still rising in the
east, and I just saw the Milky Way the other night.
But I will wait and see– those pesky “vibrations”
haven’t actually started yet. We really have to watch
out for those– they are so sneaky they are invisible.
This soothsayer Keller, says funding is going away and projects are being derailed all over the world due to higher costs of materials, elimination of tax incentives and higher interest rates. This soothsayer has never said he is a financial genius. Nor has he said Fetterman would be a vice president candidate. Dont make things up. How you can know that no right whales have died is stunning in its arrogance. My issue is not whales but economics. We will pay more for this than we do with fossil fuels.
Andy– it seems that someone is continually
hacking your account here.
andrew engelman September 25, 2023 At 9:01 am
“Keller I simply said why are they afraid if they are here legally and you blurt out an incompressible rant on anything but the subject. Biden/Fetterman 2024—-a no brainer.”
https://www.mvtimes.com/2023/09/22/500000-venezuelans-granted-temporary-legal-status/
of course, you could have been talking about them getting
married in 2024. Or something else.. What exactly DID you
mean ? Or did your account get hacked, yet again ?
You should really talk to Sam about that security issue.
As for knowing about how many right whales have died,
I looked it up on the noaa site. The last verified death
of a right whale in U.S waters was on Feb 12 2023.
The necroscopy determined that it died as a result
of blunt force trauma.
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/endangered-species-conservation/north-atlantic-right-whale-updates#:~:text=February%2017%2C%202023&text=On%20February%2012%2C%202023%2C%20the,20%2Dyear%2Dold%20male.
Who’s stunningly arrogant ?
How many early car manufacturers went belly up?
“We will pay more for this than we do with fossil fuels.”
It will be well worth the price.
Our precious babies will not have to breath as many burned hydrocarbons.
Tax incentives: Is it wrong to to offer tax incentives for wind? Is it wrong to offer tax incentives for building a manufacturing plant. A manufacturing plant that manufactures solar panels? Wind turbines?
andy–I don’t know where you get your information,
but if you look at any reputable information
about it, you might find otherwise.
https://gwec.net/gwecs-global-offshore-wind-report-2023/#:~:text=The%202023%20Global%20Offshore%20Wind,in%20the%20next%20ten%20years.
Fortunately, under the shrewd guidance of
our incredible PRESIDENT, Joe Biden, and the
billions of dollars that the taxpayers are paying
to subsidize the oil industry, the price
of fossil fuel is not going up.
And since it seems only costs associated
with any project producing clean power.
that does make it tough for wind to compete.
Facts :
Avangrid pays Massachusetts $48 million to get out of their Wind contract
South Coast Wind pays Massachusetts $60 million to get out of their Wind contract
Park City Wind pays Connecticut $16 million to get out of their contract
These companies realize wind turbines are not a viable business. Vineyard Wind will only succeed on the taxpayers back.
How many car companies went belly up in the early days of the car?
John– companies often sign contracts and
then back out of them for various reasons.
In this case, there was an extraordinary
increase in the price of steel and labor
between the time the contracts were signed
and actual construction began. Look at the
Tisbury school project.
If the town didn’t approve the extra 28 million
( 40 % increase)for the project , the contractor
would have
pulled out. Would you have said schools
shouldn’t be built because of that ?
And by the way, schools get government
money.
This is what happens in a democracy.
We the people want wind, not oil, wherever reasonable.
😪
😆
Democracy in action.
The poor whales and other undersea animals, we know nothing about….. so sad…. very very sad….. save the electric, screw the whales – afterall – what good are the whales?????????????????????????
Dolores. Whales are a critical part of the
ocean’s ecosystem, and have a right to live.
Yes– I think animals have rights. ALL of
them.. Plovers, Spotted owls, snail darters
etc.
That’s why I want us to get off of the fossil
fuels. The burning of fossil fuels is known to be
a threat to ALL living things. There is no credible
evidence to even remotely suggest that there is a
threat to whales or any other marine mammals from
windmills. People just rant about the danger to whales
like some rant about the “stolen election”
There is just no evidence to support it.
Windmills killing whales is a “big lie” hoax brought
to us by the billions of propaganda dollars from the
oil companies.
We wouldn’t have such an insatiable for this
electricity if the “conservatives” would get out
or the way of efforts to reduce our electrical
and fuel demands.
They have opposed everything from more efficient
lightbulbs to cleaner and more efficient power plants.
Indeed the current idiotic “story” on right wing
shows is that the government
is “coming after” our appliances.
Thems so stupit and blinded by BDS that they
can’t figure out that if the government requires
a/c manufactures to raise the price by $40 but the
average American will save $160 a year, that’s a good
thing for them. Indeed, andy even once wrote on
this very site that he leaves his car running just
to bother me.
Well, blame the right wingers if you think there is
a threat to the whales.
I’m sure you have changed Dolores’ mind.
Scott- I know it is difficult to convince
someone of something that they don’t want to be
convinced of. Conspiracy theories and misinformation
abound because — I don’t know —-
https://carsey.unh.edu/publication/conspiracy-vs-science-a-survey-of-us-public-beliefs
But my point isn’t to convince Dolores, so to say.
It is to voice my opinion and present some facts
to give my opinion some credibility into the conversation.
But, looking at the big picture, I know there are a lot
of people who are only marginally interested in this
topic, or many others for that matter, and do not
care to take the time or know where to find
accurate information about it.
I watch and listen to right wing radio.
I know for instance about the appliance debate.
They only show one side of the story.
For instance, from Fox:
“According to the Energy Department’s analysis,
the new rules would save households about $39
over the lifespan of the new energy-efficient
fan. However, the cost to manufacturers
associated with the increased equipment
will total $86.6 million per year”.
“increased equipment” per year?
Does that include the tax depreciation credits ?
Does the homeowner get an ” energy star” rebate ?
But is doesn’t make any prediction about
how much more an individual fan would cost.
What if it’s $5 ? would you be willing to invest
$5 to save 40 ?
Not enough information–
But they sure do manage to fire up the base.
Save The Whales
Hydrocarbons kill whales.
The poor whales and other undersea animals in the Gulf of Mexico, we know nothing about….. so sad…. very very sad….. save the oil, screw the whales – afterall – what good are the whales?????????????????????????
Keller, where do animals get their rights? Yes I want to be a good steward but to suggest animals have rights is silly. We should treat them well but they dont have rights.
Under most state and federal laws, animals primarily are regarded as property and have little or no legal rights of their own. Because of this status, generally there is a presumption—provided no law is violated—in favor of the owner’s control and use over the best interests of the animal. Ethicists generally ascribe rights only to members of societies that are capable of applying mutually accepted ethical principles to specific situations. Animals are not capable of forming or belonging to such societies. In this light, they cannot be ascribed rights.
andrew englemand, we the people have decided that animals have Rights.
If you abuse an animal you will lose your Rights
Andy– where do people get their rights ?
It seems slaves didn’t have rights .
They were regarded as property after all.
But things changed.
Your comment about what “ethicist generally
ascribe to” is one of the most bazaar you have posted.
Climate scientist overwhelmingly ascribe climate
change to anthropomorphic activity but you
disregard that.– I would posit that anyone who
has any sense of what ethical behavior is would
disagree with you about animal rights.
You say you want to be a “good steward”?
What does that mean to you , andy ?
You say that, but it is pretty clear that you couldn’t
care less about any other living creature other
than a few select people who agree with your
radical beliefs.
And really, you seem to be educated enough
to have at least heard about Jane Goodall.
She definitively documented the
” mutually accepted ethical principles to specific situations”
of the gorilla populations she studied.
Elephants clearly exhibit mutually accepted
ethical behavior in their societies, as do dogs,
birds, ants, bees, and whales, among others.
It seems pretty obvious to me , though, that
humans are NOT capable of applying mutually
accepted ethical principles to specific situations.
what are we to do with them ?
We can’t even seem to agree as to whether
or not certain populations of humans have a
“right to exist”.
In this light, by your logic, humans cannot be
ascribed rights.
George Orwell’s famous line from
the novella Animal farm sums up the
reality we live in.
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more
equal than others. ”
Keller another rant from you. I am talking about rights, not ethical principles. I told you we need to be good stewards but you didnt tell me where animals get their rights, you just blather on about another subject. Slaves had God given rights endowed by the Creator and society deprived them of their rights. Animals do n0t have rights bestowed upon them. You are all over the map in juxtapositions–animal farm, and humans having rights to exist and Jane Goodall and gorillas.—–sheeeeesh!!!!. Please tell me how animals get their rights. simple question.
andy– it seems my first response to you about
how animals get their rights was
deleted by the moderator.
So I’ll keep it short
They get them from god herself.
Read your book.
And then, the next time you are
travelling around the world, convince
the Hamas terrorist that Israel has
a right to exist.
andy, animals get their rights from the same place people get their rights.
From we the people.
In reality there is no higher authority.
There is some wishful thinking.
Great, first of many I hope.
Where all animals do, from the species that can kill all the others. If you were alone and naked on the African plains, you would likely find out lions had more rights than you. Here, they get them from us.
The first one is up and the countdown now is on until they are no longer useful and will have to be disposed of in a landfill somewhere. It has been helpful that fossil fuels were available to produce the wind blades deliver the wind blades, then to retrieve the wind blades, and to cart off to our landfills. Fossil fuels made it possible to build these windmills, and will continue to make it possible to maintain the windmills, and it made no sense to put them where they are. Texas loves them. They should be Land based if at all.
Oh, it makes no sense to put them where there is the most energy from the wind more so than Texas. I guess you have not heard that Fossil Fuels are destroying the atmosphere of the planet. You have not heard that the offshore waters of New England are considered to be the Saudi Arabia of wind energy.
Sure there still will be a place for Fossil Fuels for some time to come we can’t transition instantly to clean energy without them but if we want a liveable Planet for our kid’s futures we better take advantage of every way possible to cut back Fossil fuels where we can. If we don’t this planet is going to get hotter and hotter until not much will survive.
The Somerset coal plant had a very major rehab twenty years ago, it all went to recyclers/landfill five years ago.
The Plymouth nuclear plant lasted 37 years from first watt to last, it had significant issues.
Most oil production platforms don’t last twenty years.
Nothing lasts forever.
Has mankind reached mid-life?
What is the reason for your preference of land based wind over ocean?
Would you prefer that the island have land based wind over ocean?
Would you prefer that all of the power consumed on the Island was produced out of sight?
Bob –tell that to the NIMBY folks in Falmouth
who managed to bring down the Falmouth windmills.
And really ? We have to put the spent blades
in landfills ? —It must take a lot of willfully ignorant
will power to push reality out of the way and actually think
that the only option for “disposing” of the
blades is to put them in landfills.
Come on– I keep asking you to have a
RATIONAL discussion about this project.
You can do better.
I would appreciate it you at least tried.
Thanks
Bob– Have you ever seen the volume of slag
that a coal burning plant produces ?
https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/slag-heap
Given how the coal industry deals with its waste,
we could just follow suit and dump it all in Waban
park. Or is it only ok to pile slag in hundred foot
piles somewhere else?
And — Breaking news– steel can be recycled.
The end of life plan for the towers is to cut them
off 10 ft. below the seabed and recycle the steel.
With electricity from windmills.
You know, you could find all this stuff out if you
ever decided to not remain willfully ignorant.
Think of all the guns we could make with all
that recycled steel.
Bob– let me inform you about some comparative
numbers concerning waste from coal plants.
WARNING– this comment includes some
disturbing mathematical facts, and may not
be appropriate for everyone….
Every KWH a coal burning plant produces generates
.1785pounds of slag waste
Each turbine produces 312 MWHs per day,
312,000 KWH/day
To produce that much electricity, a coal plant
produces 55,692 pounds of ash– per day
20,341,530 pounds of slag per year for
one turbine
1,261,173,186 pounds of slag per year to
keep up with all 62 turbines.
25,223,463,720 pounds over 20 years, or
12,611,732 tons
Each blade on these turbines weighs about
64 tons— 11,904 tons for all blades on all mills.
They have to be replaced about every 20 years
So, would you prefer 12,611,732 tons of toxic
tailings that the coal companies dump into someone
else’s rivers and streams,
or 11,904 tons of inert carbon composites
that could simply be put on one of the 12
artificial reefs off the coast of New York ?
https://www.thefisherman.com/article/visit-new-yorks-artificial-reefs/
Yeah– I know– who cares about the rivers
and streams in Appalachia ?
As long as you get
a few cents off your electric bill, it’s OK . Right ?
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