US approves its biggest offshore wind farm yet

The US announced on Tuesday that it had granted final approval for its biggest wind power project yet, which will be located off the coast of the eastern state of Massachusetts.

The "Vineyard Wind" project calls for up to 84 wind turbines to be built 12 nautical miles off Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, two islands off the Massachusetts coast.

The administration of President Joe Biden has set a goal of generating 30 gigawatts of energy from offshore wind by 2030.

The 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind project would provide enough power for 400,000 homes and businesses, the Interior Department said in a statement.

"A clean energy future is within our grasp in the United States," Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said. "The approval of this project is an important step toward advancing the administration's goals to create good-paying union jobs while combatting climate change and powering our nation."

The United States currently relies very little on wind power, with only small wind farms located off the coasts of Virginia and Rhode Island.

Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, said the project will be operational in 2023.

© 2021 AFP