A group of Nantucketers is challenging key environmental approvals for Vineyard Wind, the offshore wind energy farm under construction south of Martha’s Vineyard.
Gov. Maura Healey last week announced a new effort to procure up to 3,600 megawatts of offshore wind power – the largest call out to developers in the state’s history.
Revolution Wind says it will cut down on the number of turbines it is proposing to put in the waters off Martha’s Vineyard in order to reduce the number that can be seen from Aquinnah. Tribe officials remain concerned about the project.
During a tour of the construction 12 miles south of the Vineyard, the company behind the project said the turbines could start producing electricity as early as October.
Aquinnah officials say the town stands to gain hundreds of thousands of dollars from offshore wind energy developers that are required to mitigate the effects of offshore wind farms on Aquinnah Circle and Gay Head Light.
While many have touted the arrival of offshore wind, there are also concerns about the scope of the effort and the potential for irreparable damage to species that live and migrate through the area.
Deb Haaland, the U.S. secretary of the interior, came to the Island earlier this month and met with the chairwoman of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) to talk about offshore wind energy and economic development.
An entirely new energy industry in the U.S. took a step forward earlier this month when, just 14 miles south of the Vineyard, construction started on the country’s first commercial-scale offshore wind energy farm.
As construction on the U.S.’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm started this week, another proposed for the waters south of the Vineyard said it hopes to sever its contracts.
