In the final days of the Biden administration, the White House announced its approval of the SouthCoast Wind Project. This offshore wind farm will generate up to 2.4 gigawatts of energy, powering more than 840,000 homes in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
“The approval of the SouthCoast Wind Project today demonstrates the strength of our collaborative process to deploy offshore wind,” said Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Elizabeth Klein in a statement. “As we mark this achievement, we look forward to the meaningful economic opportunities the SouthCoast Wind Project will bring to this region, both during construction and throughout the project’s lifetime.”
Spanning nearly 130,000 acres, the project includes the construction of up to 141 wind turbines. To mitigate environmental concerns, six originally planned turbine positions have been removed to reduce potential impacts on marine wildlife.
The SouthCoast Wind Project marks the 11th commercial-scale offshore wind energy development approved under President Joe Biden. His administration gave a green light for 19 gigawatts of offshore wind power. That’s enough power to supply energy to more than 6 million homes.
Despite the sector’s growth under Biden-era policies, offshore wind has faced significant challenges in 2024. Rising material costs and supply chain disruptions have led to project cancellations. These cancellations have eliminated over half of the previously planned installed capacity.
As a result, Siemens Energy, the world’s largest offshore wind turbine manufacturer, is projecting $2.2 billion in financial losses for the year.
Environmental concerns have also increased following a blade failure at the Vineyard Project over the summer. The incident bolstered local opposition to offshore wind in some regions.
With the Trump administration set to take office and the president-elect pledging to end offshore wind energy on day one, the future of this industry in the U.S. remains uncertain.