offshore wind

A new coalition of 40 organizations is asking the six New England states to work together to support offshore wind.

But cooperation could butt up against some of the interstate competition that has happened in wind energy so far.

On Thursday, Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration announced the developers will use the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal as the primary staging area for the construction and installation of their offshore wind projects in waters south of Martha’s Vineyard. 

Five offshore wind companies, all with leases to build wind farms off the New England coast in the next ten years, have agreed on a uniform turbine layout. But fishing industry representatives say the turbines will be too closely spaced for safety.

With a second offshore wind farm now on the way, Massachusetts is primed to have enough wind energy in the next decade to power about 800,000 homes. But some people might be wondering, what will more renewable energy sources mean for power in the state? How will our lights still turn on when the wind isn’t blowing, and the sun isn’t shining? 

A giant wind turbine blade—one that could power the world’s most powerful offshore wind turbine—arrived for structural testing at Boston's Wind Technology Testing Center. The blade, manufactured by General Electric, is part of a 12-megawatt turbine protoype that the company plans to roll out commercially in 2021.

Massachusetts utilities have selected Mayflower Wind to build what the state hopes will be the second offshore wind farm south of Martha's Vineyard. The company won the state's most recent procurement for an 800 megawatt farm, and the state says it has proposed the cheapest offshore wind rate yet. 

The state is continuing to invest in the offshore wind industry by creating the nation's first offshore wind training platform at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay. 

A deep and earthy rumble signalled the falling of Brayton Point powerplant’s two cooling towers that have stood alongside I-195 for the past decade. Hundreds of people gathered in Kennedy Park to watch the towers’ implosion, complete with a brass band to celebrate. 

The Brayton Point powerplant on the South Coast is a monument to a source of energy Massachusetts once heavily relied on: coal. The plant closed in 2017, and on Saturday, April 27, the plant's landmark feature, its twin cooling towers, are scheduled to be demolished by implosion. 

This year the offshore wind company Vineyard Wind plans to start construction on a wind farm south of Martha’s Vineyard, with more than 80 turbines. Several other commercial wind-power projects are proposed for the state’s coastal waters. And while the first offshore turbine has yet to go up in Massachusetts, already this new industry is beginning to have an impact on local classrooms, from elementary grades to college.

On Wednesday on Capitol Hill two House committees held climate change hearings. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker used his appearance at the hearings to highlight the commonwealth’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Massachusetts' three electricity companies have submitted their contracts to the state's Department of Public Utilities, after negotiating a rate of 6.5 cents per kilowatt hour with offshore wind company Vineyard Wind.

Massachusetts has chosen energy company Vineyard Wind to build the state’s first offshore wind farm. Now, the company has broken ground for the first time, as it begins testing soil samples at a potential onshore site in Centerville.

On Wednesday, the Commonwealth held a forum for businesses across the region to hear from Vineyard Wind, the first offshore wind company to win a contract with the state to provide 800 megawatts of power. The meeting included large international companies like General Electric, and smaller local crane operators and boat repair companies as well. 

Massachusetts made a big step forward in its push to rely more on renewable energy by agreeing to purchase 800 megawatts of offshore wind power from Vineyard Wind. The New Bedford-based company was one of three competing for a contract with the state. The proposed farm is poised to become the largest offshore wind farm in the country. 

Massachusetts is gearing up for the creation of the state's first offshore wind farm. If proposals are accepted, the state could soon be home to the largest offshore wind facility in the country.