Project Overview

The Vineyard Wind 1 is an offshore wind project currently under construction off the coast of Massachusetts, United States (US). The wind farm has a total planned capacity of 806 MW and will generate enough clean energy to power over 400,000 homes. The wind farm uses one of the advanced Haliade-X 13 MW turbines in the world by GE Vernova. 

The wind farm is developed by Vineyard Wind LLC headed by Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of Iberdrola, in partnership with CIP (Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners). The construction of the Vineyard wind 1 was started in 2021 and generated the first electricity in January 2024. The USD 3 billion project is expected to start full operation by the end of 2025.

Project Background

The Vineyard Wind 1 Offshore Wind Farm project is one of the largest upcoming offshore wind farm projects in the United States. Inception of the project dates back to 2009 when BOEM (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) evaluated the potential suitability of areas along the Atlantic coast for offshore wind development. 

The Massachusetts Wind Energy Area (WEA) was formally identified and made available for commercial leasing in January 2015 which initiated the Vineyard Wind project. The development of the Vineyard Wind project is promoted by an “Act to Promote Energy Diversity” passed in August 2016 in the state of Massachusetts. 

The Vineyard offshore wind project gained momentum with the filing of its Site Assessment Plan (SAP) in March 2017. Later, the plan was approved by BOEM in May 2018. Vineyard Wind submitted its Construction and Operations Plan (COP) to BOEM in December 2017 which outlined the detailed plans for the project. 

In June 2019, three turbines of the wind farm were relocated as part of several adjustments made in the project. Amidst this, Vineyard Wind secured key permits including approval from the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB) in May 2019.

In May 2021 the project received the Record of Decision (ROD) from the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). Vineyard Wind 1 project completed the public review process in May 2021 gaining 90% support.

Construction began on 18 November 2021, making the Vineyard Wind 1 project 25 times larger than the only other offshore project that existed in the country at that time. The project achieved steel-in-the-water in June 2023 and completed the nation's first offshore substation in July 2023. The first wind turbine was installed in January 2024.

Vineyard Wind Location Details

Vineyard Wind 1 located in U.S. federal waters in the Atlantic Ocean in Bureau of Ocean Energy Management-designated Lease Area OCS-A 0520. The project is about 13 nautical miles (24 km / 15 mi) south of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, Massachusetts.

The wind farm will be developed in 306km² on the north-east portion of the lease area. The water depth at the site ranges between 35m and 49m.

Project cost

The estimated project cost of Vineyard 1 is USD 3 billion.

In 2023, the project reached USD 1.2 billion dollar investment transaction with J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo, making it the largest single asset tax equity financing.

Technical Specifications

The Vineyard Wind 1 Offshore Wind Farm features 84 Haliade-X wind turbines by GE Renewable Energy. Each of these turbines stands at a remarkable height of 248 meters and generate up to 13 megawatts (MW) of power. A single rotation of a Haliade-X turbine is sufficient to supply a Massachusetts home with offshore wind energy for an entire day.

The turbines are arranged in a grid-like pattern with spacing between 1.4 kilometers and 1.8 kilometers. This ensures optimal wind capture and efficiency to the offshore wind turbine blade. Also, the turbines are equipped with an automatic shut-off system that prevents the rotors from turning when wind speeds exceed 111 km/h.

The offshore wind farm uses 62 monopile foundations supplied by Windar Renovables. These foundations are pile-driven into their respective positions and include scour protection to safeguard against erosion. 

The electrical infrastructure of the Vineyard Wind project consists of a 34-kilometer submarine cabling system that connects the offshore wind farm to the U.S. mainland power transmission grid. Also, 51 kilometers of high-voltage onshore cables ranging from 69 kV to 500 kV transfer the generated power from the offshore substation to the onshore grid.

The wind farm’s 275 kilometers inter-array system will employ 66 kV cables and this underground cable will connect all the turbines to the offshore substation. This offshore wind power will be stepped up from 66 kV to 220 kV at one or two electrical service platforms (ESPs) situated near the wind farm later transmitted via 158 kilometers of 220 kV underground export cables to an onshore substation.

The export cables are composed of three copper or aluminum conductors with cross-linked polyethylene insulation and waterproof sheathing. This design is to prevent water infiltration and ensure the reliability of power transmission. The offshore substation in Vineyard Wind 1 is the largest ever constructed by Iberdrola in the U.S. weighing over 5,000 tonnes.

Contractors Involved

Project Timeline

Project Benefits

The Vineyard Wind 1 Offshore Wind Farm eliminates 1.68 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. This is equivalent to removing 325,000 cars from the road each year. The project is expected to reliably supply clean energy to over 400,000 Massachusetts homes, highlighting its role in supporting the state’s renewable energy goals and reducing dependence on fossil fuels and mitigating climate change.

The project will offer USD 3.7 billion in energy-related cost savings benefiting New England ratepayers. The wind project will create 3,600 full-time equivalent (FTE) job years. In the first 20 years of operation customers are expected to save USD 1.4 billion. Vineyard Wind will invest USD 15 million in Massachusetts for key initiatives like the Windward Workforce Fund, the Offshore Wind Industry Accelerator Fund, and the Marine Mammals and Wind Fund.

Current and Future Outlook

The wind turbine installation for Vineyard Wind 1 began in September 2023 and first GE Haliade-X 13 MW unit was installed at the site some 15 miles (approximately 24 kilometers) off the coast of Massachusetts by DEME’s jack-up Sea Installer.

CEO of Avangrid, Pedro Azarga said: “With 10 turbines now in operation, Avangrid is delivering enough clean energy to power more than 60,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts.”

In February, Vineyard Wind delivered approximately 68 MW from five turbines to the grid becoming the largest operating wind farm surpassing South Fork Wind. Building on the 136 MW currently in operation and additional power production is planned to be delivered to the grid sequentially. Each unit will start production once it completes the commissioning process.

According to Avangrid's latest news in June 2024, the wind farm has currently installed 47 foundations and transition pieces and 21 turbines, with the installation of the 22nd turbine underway. The complications around the Vineyard wind turbine blade failure are undergoing and fiberglass shards are collected.

The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has allowed Vineyard Wind to resume certain limited additional activities at the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm site.

As of October 2025, at least 31 of the planned 62 turbines at the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm are now operational, capable of delivering up to 400 MW to the grid. Iberdrola had earlier confirmed 17 turbines were online in mid-July. Project co-developer Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners has informed shareholders that full commercial operations are now expected by the end of 2025.

Summary

The Vineyard Wind 1 Offshore Wind Farm is one of the major projects in the United States' renewable energy landscape. The 806 MW project will benefit the country both economically and environmentally reducing carbon emissions. Developed by Vineyard Wind, the project will have one of the largest - 84 GE Haliade-X 13 MW wind turbines in the world. The wind farm will generate enough clean energy to power over 400,000 homes and create 3,600 full-time equivalent jobs. The  project began construction in 2021, achieved its first power generation in January 2024 and is on track for full operation by the end of 2024.

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