Rhode Island’s first offshore wind farm will be built in Block
Island. | File photo Block Island, a small town with only 1,000
full-time, residents, is the site for a big project, when it
will become home to Rhode Island’s first offshore wind farm.
Powerful ocean winds lie right off Block Island’s south shore.
That’s the benefit of offshore wind farms — they can take
advantage of the harder, stronger winds found a few miles off
the coast Deepwater Wind LLC is leading the effort with plans to
construct up to eight wind turbines three miles off of Block
Island’s shore. In addition, the company will construct 100
turbines 15 miles offshore. "Together the turbines will generate
1.3 million megawatt hours annually, which will provide 15
percent of Rhode Island’s electricity," says Deepwater Wind
Chief Development Officer Paul Rich. It will also bring the
state closer to reaching its benchmark of 20 percent renewable
energy by 2020. The Block Island project, which will be
completed by 2012, will be a significant mi