BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), a leading sustainable energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, today announced that it has installed the first five GE Haliade-X turbines for the nation-leading Vineyard Wind 1 project, a critical milestone as the companies prepare to deliver the first power from the project to the electric grid in Massachusetts. Once energized in the coming weeks, Vineyard Wind 1, the first large-scale offshore wind project in the United States, will deliver approximately 65 Megawatts of clean energy from five GE Haliade-X turbines, enough to power 30,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts. Vineyard Wind 1 is an 806 Megawatt project, and when fully operational will generate enough clean electricity to power 400,000 homes and businesses in the Commonwealth.
“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,” said Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra. “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 United States. 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.”
Once energized, the power from the first five turbines will interconnect to the New England grid in Barnstable, transmitted by underground cables that connect to a substation further inland on Cape Cod. Once completed, the project will consist of 62 wind turbines to generate 806 Megawatts, enough to power more than 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts.
Before generating first power, Avangrid must complete several critical tests and technical milestones, including final testing of the array and export cables, and energization of the offshore substation which is one of the largest built in the global offshore industry. Vineyard Wind 1 remains on track to deliver first power before the end of the year.
"The Environmental League of Massachusetts is thrilled to see this tremendous milestone and strong momentum toward delivering the first large-scale offshore wind power to the New England grid," said Elizabeth Turnbull Henry, President of the Environmental League of Massachusetts. "The Commonwealth is a leader in growing the offshore wind industry at the pace and scale necessary to address the climate crisis. Offshore wind is the single biggest lever we can pull to address the climate crisis while strengthening our regional economy, protecting ratepayers, improving public health, and creating high-quality jobs and equitable access to economic opportunity. ELM commends Avangrid and CIP for their determination in bringing Vineyard Wind 1 online and demonstrating a path forward for New England to equitably and responsibly achieve carbon neutrality."
“It's incredibly exciting that Vineyard Wind is on the verge of generating offshore wind power for regular people. This will forever change how we think about power production in the U.S., unlocking a major source of electricity in the Northeast that can be copied by other coastal regions,” said Joe Curtatone, Presidents of the Northeast Clean Energy Council. “Avangrid deserves enormous credit for overcoming all of the barriers that stood in the way of this project. The first one is always the hardest. Now everyone gets to see that it can be done.”
From the outset of this project, Vineyard Wind recognized the importance of building and supporting a workforce of local, highly skilled and diverse tradespeople. The valuable collaboration with union leadership on this project is a prime example of how this new industry can be a responsive member of the communities it serves, ensuring accessible and family-sustaining careers.
Vineyard Wind began offshore construction in late 2022, achieved steel-in-the-water in June, and completed the nation’s first offshore substation in July. Construction flows through the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal. In July 2021, Vineyard Wind signed the first Project Labor Agreement for an offshore wind project in the United States, which outlined the creation of 500 union jobs though the project.
An 806-megawatt project located 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Vineyard Wind will generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, create 3,600 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) job years, save customers $1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation, and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road annually.
About Avangrid: Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $41 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, Avangrid has two primary lines of business: networks and renewables. Through its networks business, Avangrid owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Through its renewables business, Avangrid owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. Avangrid employs more than 7,500 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital in 2021, 2022 and 2023 as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens. In 2023, Avangrid ranked first within the utility sector for its commitment to the environment. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2023 for the fifth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.
