Vineyard Wind is expected to deliver energy before the end of the year. —Courtesy of Avangrid

Updated Dec. 12

Vineyard Wind is expected to begin supplying power to the grid in a matter of weeks. According to a recent release from Avangrid, the energy company that owns half the offshore wind project, the first five turbines for Vineyard Wind have been installed, and are expected to deliver 65 megawatts of energy by the end of the year. 

There are still several steps remaining before Vineyard Wind can go live, such as final tests of the array and the export cables connecting the turbines to the grid. 

“Our team has worked tremendously hard, through nights, weekends, and holidays, to put us in the position to deliver the first power from Avangrid’s nation-leading Vineyard Wind 1 project before the end of the year,” Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra said in the statement released on Wednesday, Dec. 6. “Today, we have fully installed the first five turbines of this historic project, representing a new frontier for climate action and the clean energy revolution in the U.S. We look forward to working through the final technical requirements and flipping the switch to deliver these first green electrons to 30,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts, proving that with skill, expertise, and perseverance, the dream of offshore wind in America is real.”

The project is somewhat behind, compared with an announcement made earlier this summer, when Avangrid staff, during a trip to the Vineyard Wind construction site, said the offshore wind farm would begin producing 78 megawatts of power by mid-October, which was expected to increase to 200 to 300 megawatts of power by the end of the year. 

“While building the first large-scale offshore wind project in the U.S. has presented challenges common to large infrastructure projects, including inclement weather and a natural learning curve during the installation campaign, our goal for Vineyard Wind has always been to deliver first power in 2023, and achieve full commercial operations in 2024, and we remain on track to meet those commitments,” Avangrid spokesperson Craig Gilvarg told The Times.

Once all 62 turbines are installed, the project is expected to deliver 806 megawatts of electricity. Vineyard Wind’s GE Haliade-X 13MW turbines are 853 feet tall, including the blades. The blades will be 351 feet long, with a rotor diameter of 722 feet. 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 will not, however, be the first utility-scale offshore wind farm to generate power in America, despite its messaging throughout its development process about building “the nation’s first utility-scale offshore wind energy project.” That distinction belongs now to South Fork Wind, which successfully delivered energy to Long Island, N.Y., on Wednesday, Dec. 6 — the same day Avangrid announced the completion of Vineyard Wind’s first five turbines. 

Two turbines have already been installed for South Fork Wind, the first of which was installed in November. The rest of the turbines, 12 in total, are expected to be completed by early 2024. 

“New York’s nation-leading efforts to generate reliable, renewable clean energy have reached a major milestone,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a press release. “South Fork Wind will power thousands of homes, create good-paying union jobs, and demonstrate to all that offshore wind is a viable resource New York can harness for generations to come.”

South Fork Wind is 35 miles east of Montauk Point, N.Y., and a little over 15 miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard. 

41 replies on “Vineyard Wind expected to deliver power in weeks”

  1. Just a few reality checks here.
    This announcement came from the CEO
    of Avangrid, A U.S. based company.
    No marine mammals have been injured
    or died as a result of this project.
    The ocean has not been been destroyed.
    No cement has been poured.
    No fish have been electrocuted.
    No humans have died on this project.
    As of sept 2022– before actual installation
    of the turbines — 666 job years have been
    created
    As of sept 2022, outlays amounted to $167
    million
    Of the 199 employees as of sept 2022, over 75
    percent were well paid Mass residents.
    https://www.vineyardwind.com/press-
    releases/2023/2/16/report-shows-vineyard-
    wind-far-exceeded-job-creation-and-economic
    -output-projections-during-development-and
    -early-construction-period
    They have financing, and capitalist will make money.
    Customers will see total savings of $70 million a year.

    I can handle those specks on the horizon.

      1. Robert —
        3 out of four ain’t bad
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lirNpVUnw-E
        It seems that one is still standing ????
        I have to say ,I have not noticed it but
        then again, if you look towards the cape
        HA!!!!!!
        And then there were the cooling towers ;
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUyjGLw1VzU
        I wonder what all the people who complain
        that we will have to change the blades out
        on the windmills every 20 years and are panicked
        about what to do what them. — spoiler alert–
        they can go on the artificial reefs off the coast
        of Long Island

        Anybody ever wonder what happened to all
        that rubble from the demo of these things at
        Bryant point ?
        And they are taking the plant apart bit by
        bit now. What are they going to do with
        all that stuff ?

      3. They were truly beautiful.
        No one has noticed them, for more than five years.
        Or the burnt hydrocarbons they put up so far in the air.

    1. Gary– these are big.
      here’s an example ;
      The top speed of most mopeds
      is about 30 mph. Some street
      legal motorcycles can do 250.
      But I guess if you think everyone
      is lying about everything, that’s
      your right.

    1. Please don’t use the electricity then.
      Boycotts are effective.
      Currently (noon dec 12 ) about 4 %
      of your power is coming from wind.
      Start planning now on how to get by with
      less electricity. I’ll keep you posted
      on what that percentage goes up to
      as these beautiful machines come on line.

      1. Hawaii as been fully committed to wind and solar power for almost twenty years. The island require ov 20 MW to replace fossil fuels. Currently producing a bit over 1MW. We probably won’t be around when any significant volume of W/S is available, Don.

        2. Gene.
          I’ll keep referring to this site.
          https://www.eia.gov/dashboard/newengland/overview
          it is not a political site– The operators of the grid have no political agenda. They just put out raw data.
          As of the time of this posting, W/S is is producing about 6% of the electricity in the N.E. grid. Quire in keeping with your 1 MW comment.
          But it doesn’t take into account all the solar panels that are being directly used on the vineyard. Right now, for instance there are a few cars charging directly from solar panels. Hard to quantify how much really, another % or2 ? But one thing for sure, those percentages are going up.
          I have said it before; anyone who thinks the Vineyard will be at “net zero” in 26 years doesn’t understand the scale of the problem. But the prices are coming down, and the production of W/S is going up.
          The shift to renewables in inevitable. How long it takes to get to what percentage is the question. But one thing is clear, oil will always be in our lives. It’s just a shame to burn it– It is valuable stuff.

    2. A pox on drill rigs, production platforms, pipelines, refineries, oil tankers, tank farms, tanker trucks, underground fuel tanks, in your neighborhood, and the byproducts of lighting hydrocarbons on fire.

      All energy comes from the sun, harvest it primarily and secondarily, dragging it out of the ground is a messy bit of business.

      1. People will convert their homes (completely disconnect from grid) when they realize how easy it is and how much money they can save. You can buy UL listed panels off eBay, buy a reliable backup generator from Lowe’s, build your own wood racks (park your car underneath) and have a local electrician hook up. Typical system for modest home costs about 13k and typical ROI is about 3 years.

    4. But not pox to fossil fuels generating your electricity? Where the smog causes asthma and allergies for people? Where the smog gets in the atmosphere and locks heat in close to the earth? There are no longer ANY lobsters ? along the CT shore because of fossil-fuel caused global warming.

  5. Energy extraction for anything can be ugly. But compare wind to miles of gasoline pipes polluting our water etc. Plus all the rest of the oil business. Give me wind any day. If I see the big blades I can see that maybe more of the world will be clean. and thank the blades and the people determined to put them in. Why do people think it is their right to have a “beautiful” view and they can forget about the ugliness, destruction and poison other people have to live with and die from. Just because you don’t directly see the terrible effect of oil and gas fuel doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

    2. Francie: Thank you for pointing that out to us! Yes!
      If you don’t have an energy-independent home, would encourage you to buy your very own system and disconnect from the grid. I wish every new, or remodeled, house was required to be passive and active solar.

    1. Our tourists will be able to see the source of the electricity they consume.
      They also drive by the place that treats their sewage.
      Someone will make buck taking tourists out to see the wind mills up close.
      Tourists get big bang out of that kind of thing, like Paradopeonaropesailing.

      Does the Island have too many tourists?
      Thinking BRW.

      1. HUH? This is going to result in very expensive electric rates. It’s a 4 billion dollar project, how do you think the owners are going to recoup those costs?

        1. How much do coal plants cost?
          How much does the coal cost?

          “how do you think the owners are going to recoup those costs?”
          The same way that nuclear, coal, oil and solar recoup their costs.
          They will charge for what they produce.

          “How much does a coal power plant cost per megawatt?
          On average, the marginal cost for the coal plants is $36 each megawatt hour, while new solar is about $24 each megawatt hour, or about a third cheaper. Only one coal plant – Dry Fork in Wyoming – is cost competitive with the new renewables.Jan 30, 2023”

          While costs can vary, wind turbines generally hover around $1 million per MW. They have no fuel costs.

        2. John– The current spot price for wholesale electricity going into the grid is $38.21 per MWH Close to its lowest price this year. It has been as high as $252.
          But let’s just say that Vineyard wind sells to the grid at $38.21. And does that for the entirety of the life of the project.
          https://www.eia.gov/dashboard/newengland/overview
          In 16 years they will have recouped their $ 4 billion investment with nearly $200 million to spare. The project will run for at least 25 years, likely more than 50. And that’s selling at the nearly lowest price this year. Don’t worry, they know how to do math, and I think their investors have looked at the prospectus.

        3. You asked about costs—there were some very good replies and there is a lot more to consider. If every house had enough solar panels that each house was energy independent (this is a very reasonable expectation, but it will take time for the public to become comfortable with the idea), then the wind farm could supply energy for dense housing and businesses. It only takes about 3 years to recoup the cost of a home going completely solar, then, if the batteries are properly cared for, the home will have FREE electricity forever (well, almost forever). When homeowners realize this, they WILL convert. We won’t be able to stop it. This will create competition for the big energy companies, whether they are solar, coal, nuclear, or wind. If a family owns their own energy creation and an electric car, think of the money that is freed up in the household!! Where will they spend that delicious money? Or a company?

    3. Those oil tanks at Packers that are the first thing tourists see are really beautiful.I hope you close your eyes when you go by there. What I find ironic is that the closing of Bryant point cleaned the air enough for us to actually see the windmills

    4. John.
      “According to the World Tourism Organization, the global tourism industry continues to grow at a steady rate of 3-4% annually.
      Europe, a leader in wind turbine adoption, has witnessed a surge in wind turbine tourism, with wind farms across countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark attracting millions of tourists.
      A study conducted by the European Travel Commission reported that around 14% of tourists visit wind farms for recreational purposes or to learn about renewable energy.
      The American Wind Energy Association highlights that wind farms in the United States are becoming tourist destinations, with states like Texas, California, and Iowa offering tours and visitor centers.”
      https://energy5.com/wind-turbines-and-tourism-exploring-the-relationship

      Someone must have said something to have visitor centers built and hire people to give tours.

      A lot of people are sayin that wind farms are going to Make America Great Again, you know.

      1. The Cape Cod Mall was once voted the number one tourist attraction on the Cape. Just saying. I’m just one of those deplorables who prefers to enjoy the island’s lovely views absent industrial power plants.

        1. John– I was at the Cape Cod mall last week. I wasn’t really looking for them, but I didn’t notice the new windmills while I was in the parking lot.
          I did notice that tower however, you know, that 511 ft tall one right in the parking lot with all those blinking lights that you can REALLY see from the Vineyard.
          So, if you want to enjoy all the lovely views on the island, just divert your eyes from those perspectively 1/2 inch tall windmills that take up less than one degree of the view. — some days. Some days it is cloudy, there is high humidity, or there is pollution that completely obscures them. And if last summer was any indicator, there will be a lot of days when smoke from wildfires will obscure them also.
          And whatever you do, don’t look at those oil tanks on beach road blocking that wonderful view of the cape or the view of the Vineyard Haven harbor as you go over the drawbridge heading towards V.H.
          Or, just don’t go to the optometrist.

        2. John: Aesthetically, I sure agree with you. I even bristle a little bit when I see people or houses or power lines painted into a landscape painting. However, I feel differently about looking at light houses. Maybe one day we will “enjoy” looking at a gorgeous wind farm.
          (I do want to move forward 100% and quickly toward each family becoming energy independent, regardless of my aesthetic preference).

    1. Andrew: Let’s pretend that fossil fuels are off the table for energy creation. What do we do now? By the way, why do you think the big oil companies are dumping so much propaganda about electric cars onto social media? One of my neighbors said she would not buy an electric car because if the batteries run out of juice you can’t open the doors, or trunk, or open the glove box! How does she “know” this? Because her “friends” on social media told her. (US laws require ALL cars to have manual opening drivers door and trunk). Or have you ever heard that electric cars start on fire? Except gas cars start on fire at a rate of more than 400 per DAY! (Let’s not be surprised when we discover that our social media friends are really big oil companies all over the world, including Russia).

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