First installed turbine at the 132-GW South Fork project off the New York coast has now sent wind energy to the state grid, with first power flow also imminent at the 800-MW Vineyard Wind project off Massachusetts and other state projects pushing past ongoing constraints.
Major wind developer, and others that include giant Equinor, predict millions in writedowns as first projects face tough economics, but proponents see a solid market that needs government attention to current obstacles.
Cost bumps in U.S. offshore wind power construction are causing new impacts to projects and developers, but recent actions by some traditional energy sector firms indicate continuing commitment to a transition to renewables.
Second Massachusetts project, SouthCoast Wind, files to terminate project power agreement, and could face up to a $60-million fine, while developers in New York and New Jersey seek contract cost adjustments
The utility-scale projects—the 800-MW, estimated $3-billion Vineyard Wind project off Massachusetts and the 132-MW, estimated $637-million South Fork project off New York—could begin to generate power this year, their developers say.
Acciona Construccíon S.A., Ferrovial S.A. and Bouygues Travaux Publics are among industry firms looking for international synergies in developing floating offshore wind projects in Spanish waters.
But even with emerging cost risks, New York's latest wind procurement that seeks up to 4.6 GW attracted a record 100 proposals from six wind developers, including one that awarded Skanska USA on Feb. 7 a CM contract for a planned $250M assembly hub at a Brooklyn marine terminal.
Dominion's 2.6-GW project off Virginia Beach and Orsted's 1-GW Sunrise Wind project off Long Island gain initial federal environmental reviews—with a key state green light also granted to the former—as onshore port hubs struggle to keep pace to support developing construction needs.
