7 numbers that explain offshore wind's impact in New England

 

WBUR (OUR LOCAL PRS/NPR STATION) OFFERED AN IMPRESSIVE

ARTICLE ABOUT OFFSHORE WIND AND FUTURE ENERGY REQUIREMENTS

THAT'S WORTH READING TO UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES..

The turbines of the Block Island Wind Farm off the coast of Rhode Island. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

excerpt:

The once-promising U.S. offshore wind industry is in a precarious state. First came a series of post-COVID economic challenges that led developers to cancel or delay some projects. Then President Trump took office in January, and immediately set about trying to fulfill a campaign promise to halt the industry.

Trump paused new permitting, effectively bringing all but a few projects up and down the Atlantic coast to a standstill. His administration also issued stop work orders to two projects under construction, and threatened to revoke key permits for several others nearing construction.

With all the twists and turns, it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. So here are seven key numbers that explain why many state leaders and environmentalists in New England are concerned about the fate of offshore wind, and what's at stake if the region's first two utility scale projects — Vineyard Wind and Revolution Wind — don't come fully online next year as expected.

30,000 megawatts

The amount of wind power New England could need by mid-century

For the first time in nearly two decades, New England’s grid operator expects electricity use to start rising. The growth in demand could begin as soon as this year, and continue as more people install electric heat pumps for home heating and cooling, and buy electric vehicles. By 2050, the region could require twice as much electricity at peak hours as it does today.

To help meet this new demand, several states in New England are banking on offshore wind. By some estimates, the region will need 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind power by mid-century — that's roughly the amount of electricity that can currently be produced by all of the existing power plants, onshore wind farms and large-scale solar farms in New England.


WBUR OFFSHORE WIND