Off the coast of Rhode Island — An offshore wind turbine three times the height of the Statue of Liberty was spinning off the coast of Rhode Island on Thursday, sending clean electricity to the region.
Wind farms are forming and operating along the East Coast, even so President Donald Trump is seeking to end the offshore wind industry in the United States. He often talks about his country Hate wind energy He describes the turbines as ugly.
The Associated Press traveled about 100 miles (161 kilometers) and viewed three of the five wind farms in the area. Two of the five are fully operational, two are nearly finished, and one is about halfway through.
The first turbines from the Revolution Winds project were clearly visible from a distance of about 5 nautical miles, and can be seen from further away on clear days. Stretching across the horizon, massive structures evenly spaced in rows, some rotating in the light wind.
The enormity of the turbines was evident even from a mile away.
Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind are two offshore wind projects being built to power approximately 1 million homes throughout Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York.
It took about an hour and a half to reach the Revolution Wind site, more than 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of the Rhode Island coast.
Some of the blades began to spin as the early morning wind blew. The workers were inside the wind farm’s central hub, a large gray substation.
The wind revolution is more than 90% complete. It recently began delivering power to New England’s grid, and is on track to be completed this year.
Nearby at Sunrise Wind, construction is approximately 50% complete. It’s a mix of installed turbines and empty yellow foundations still waiting for their towers and blades. A ship with giant cranes for installing offshore wind components was parked nearby.
The tip of the rotating turbine appears to be touching the intake.
Opening of the first large offshore wind farm in the United States South Fork windsOn the border of the Winds of Revolution site.
Now, in its second year of commercial operation, its 12 turbines can send enough power to New York to supply more than 70,000 homes.
The ship, which serves as a floating home base for technicians working at wind farms, was next to one of the turbines on Thursday. Technicians used the ship’s gangway to walk onto the turbine and stand at its base.
When the South Fork opens in 2024Biden administration officials said it’s just the beginning – Large new wind farms would sprout up America’s coasts To confront climate change, create job opportunities, and accelerate the country’s transition to clean energy.
Less than a year later, Trump returned to office I ordered a temporary halt For leasing and licensing of wind energy projects. His administration Work has been temporarily halted on wind farms under constructionRank A One billion dollars in compensation to a French energy company To move away from offshore wind development in the United States and An additional layer of review has been added for wind and solar projects. Federal judges have overturned it Some of his orders Obstructing wind energy developmentincluded Tuesday ruling Prevent the administration from implementing certain policies that slow clean energy development.
At the same time, wind power is declining, demand for electricity in the United States is skyrocketing, and there are limited options in land-limited coastal states for new, large energy projects in the next few years, leading to higher utility bills, says Hilary Bright, executive director of the offshore wind advocacy group Turn Forward.
“These energy policies are really impacting people in their homes, and in their pockets,” she said. “Offshore wind could ultimately be part of that solution.”
The closest location to the coast is Block Island Wind Farm. It’s in state waters near Block Island, Rhode Island.
These five turbines began rotating in 2016, making it the first offshore wind farm in the United States. Its turbines are shorter than those installed in successive projects, but they still look formidable up close. They replaced the polluting diesel generators that supplied power to Block Island.
Construction on Vineyard Wind wrapped in March. It was the first wind farm to reach this stage during Trump’s presidency.
It is expected to reach full operation in the coming months, supplying power to more than 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts.
There are two other major U.S. offshore wind farms under construction: A New York offshore wind project, Empire Wind, And a Virginia Offshore Wind Project, Virginia Offshore Wind.
“This is a major commercial industry in the United States of America,” Jason Grummett, CEO of the American Clean Energy Association, said in an interview. “Whether the president is excited about it or not, we have huge energy projects that are either delivering power to the grid or about to be completed.”
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