The start of construction of Vineyard Wind I in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. Credit: Iberdrola.

Spanish energy company Iberdrola has begun construction works on the 800MW Vineyard Wind I offshore wind farm in Barnstable County, Massachusetts.

Vineyard Wind will operate the facility, which is located 24km from the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Iberdrola holds a 50% stake in Vineyard Wind through Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of Avangrid, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.

Iberdrola chairman and CEO and Avangrid chairman Ignacio Galán said: “Vineyard Wind I is on a par with the most ambitious offshore developments globally, including those developed by the Iberdrola Group.

“With 15 years of offshore wind leadership, Iberdrola and Avangrid are more than ready to help the US benefit from the substantial opportunities of offshore wind including economic investment and job creation.

“Our offshore developments in New England and North Carolina/Virginia could represent a total investment well above $15bn in the coming years.”

The offshore wind facility is expected to generate enough clean energy to power 400,000 households while creating 3,600 jobs.

A Project Labour Agreement (PLA) was signed with Southeast Massachusetts Building Trades for the project.

The PLA aims to ensure the creation of almost 500 jobs for local tradespeople and will include targets to hire women and Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC).

Vineyard Wind I is said to be the US’s first large-scale offshore wind farm and will be 25 times the size of the 30MW offshore wind farm in Rhode Island.

During its first 20 years of operation, the wind farm is estimated to reduce power tariffs by $1.4m, while displacing more than 1.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

Iberdrola is set to invest more than $35bn in the US renewable energy market by 2025.

Last month, the company announced plans to invest £6bn ($8.2bn) to build the East Anglia Hub, an offshore wind complex in the UK.