The Block Island Wind Farm in Rhode Island, run by Deepwater Wind, began full operations this week. This makes it the first offshore wind farm in operation in the United States.
Though the Block Island Wind Farm is small — made up of five turbines, which were built by a division of General Electric, and capable of powering about 17,000 homes — it is the first successful offshore wind development in the United States, and it sets up the possibility for offshore wind projects elsewhere along the coast.
According to a spokeswoman for Deepwater Wind, about 90 percent of the island’s needs will be met by the wind-generated power, and more will go back to the grid. Current estimates are that the wind farm will supply 1 percent of the state’s electricity, the spokeswoman said.
The wind farm is receiving a federal tax credit. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Donald Trump has “expressed skepticism of wind power,” according to the New York Times. His expression of skepticism has also included 60 tweets attacking Scotland wind farms—mostly because he’s tried to fight it being built in view of his luxury golf course … in Scotland.