Major US offshore wind farm installs its last turbine

Revolution Wind, an offshore wind farm off Rhode Island, has installed its last turbine and is expected to reach full power, 704 megawatts, later this year. The $6.2 billion project, built by Ørsted, has been sending some electricity to Rhode Island and Connecticut since March and will soon run at full capacity. It's one of only a handful of large offshore wind farms actually getting finished in the U.S. right now, alongside South Fork Wind near New York and Vineyard Wind 1 off Martha's Vineyard, with a few more due to wrap up over the next couple years.

The project survived two separate attempts by the Trump administration to halt construction over unspecified national security concerns. Federal judges threw out both stop-work orders. The administration has since shifted tactics, offering to pay offshore wind developers to walk away from projects that haven't started yet, spending nearly $4 billion in taxpayer money on those buyouts so far, though the projects already under construction, like Revolution Wind, have gone forward anyway.

For homeowners, this doesn't change any rebate or incentive program directly. But it does add power to the New England grid at a time when demand is rising. Offshore wind has already helped the region get through recent extremes, performing well during a winter storm and easing reliance on oil-fired power plants during a summer heat wave. More local, carbon-free generation like this can mean a steadier grid for homes in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and neighboring states.