The Block Island Wind Farm is a wind farm located a couple miles off the coast of Block Island, Rhode Island. This is the first commercial offshore wind farm anywhere in the United States. It started in 2016 with 5 wind turbines that produced about 30 megawatts of electricity, they used this electricity to power the entire island. According to the University of Rhode Island, this project connected the Block Island power grid to the mainland’s power grid for the first time ever. This allowed the island to get rid of diesel generators that are very expensive and cause pollution to the island.
Many people believe that this is a major step to clean energy, they reduce carbon emissions, lower the use of fossil fuels, and have helped create many jobs in the industry of renewable energy. Some studies say that these wind farms have helped create artificial reefs that attract different types of fish and marine life. People say that the turbines have great ecological benefits.
With all the different environmental upside, the wind farm has become a mini tourist attraction and educational center of the island. A lot of different schools and research teams have visited the farm to learn more about renewable energy. People see this as the first step of many into the clean energy industry and offshore wind farms in the US.
On the flip side, not everyone agrees with the project. Some experts say that the wind turbines are very ugly and are an eyesore. They say that this will hurt the island economy and hurt many property values. While others worry about the long term effects that the turbines will have on the marine environment, there are also very high maintenance costs that go along with the turbines. People are wondering if the money they are saving on their electricity bill will last long.
Overall, the Block Island Wind Farm has a lot of mixed reactions, but it shows the difficult transition into renewable energy for coastal communities especially the communities that are very against the idea.
