GWYNETH WILSON first spent summer on Block Island 58 years ago. She became a year-round resident five years ago because she loves island life, except for her high electricity bills. The island, which is about a dozen miles (20km) off the coast of Rhode Island, is not connected to the mainland’s grid and, therefore, energy costs are among the highest in the country. The 1,000 or so year-round residents and 15,000 summer visitors rely on expensive, noisy, diesel-fuelled generators for power. Millions of litres of diesel are brought by lorry via ferry to the island every year. According to some islanders, brownouts (periods of low power or none at all) are common. But Ms Wilson is hopeful that all this is about to change; because Block Island is soon to be home to North America’s first offshore wind farm.
On July 26th the first “steel in the water” for the foundation of the small offshore wind farm was installed three miles off the coast (see picture). The five turbines, each with six-megawatt capacity, will be working by autumn 2016. Deepwater Wind, the company behind the project (which is privately financed at a current cost of $250m), expects the...Continue reading
Source: United States http://ift.tt/1IsqZae
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