On May 11, 2021, the offshore wind took a very significant step forward when the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) approved Vineyard Wind’s 62-turbine offshore wind farm located about 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. This is the first major offshore wind project approved by BOEM, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Marine Fisheries Service: at 800 megawatts this project is significantly larger than any offshore wind farm in the country. creating enough electricity to power 400,000 homes. The Biden administration officials said that the Vineyard Wind project will create about 3,600 jobs for American workers.
Years of Partnership Yields Results
A10 and Vineyard Wind have worked together for multiple years through the Trump Administration and now the Biden Administration. As with any new industry, there were roadblocks along the way, but A10 was able to work with Vineyard Wind, Congressional leaders, and Government Agencies to guide the project across the finish line. At multiple points throughout the Trump Administration, A10 was able to guide Vineyard through agencies and government officials that were hostile towards the offshore wind industry. A10 is extremely proud to represent Vineyard Wind and look forward to the project being completed in the near future.
Government Reaction
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland referred to the project as “an important step toward advancing the Administration’s goals to create good-paying union jobs while combating climate change and powering our nation,”
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said that “it is projects like this that will allow us to achieve the President’s ambitious climate goals.
With this record of decision on Vineyard Wind on the books, the era of American offshore wind is no longer on the horizon—it’s here, now, off the coast of Massachusetts, and the answer to America’s energy future is blowing in the offshore wind,” said Senator Ed Markey, Chair of the Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety. “Vineyard Wind will be the first of many offshore wind projects to come, and we can use our Bay State know-how to show the rest of the country how to get steel in the water, zero-emission energy on the grid, and union jobs to American workers. Our domestic offshore wind industry—including manufacturing, unionized workforce development, installation, and transmission—is a key component of our 21st-century infrastructure, and I will fight to make sure it is supercharged in any infrastructure or recovery package.”
