Efforts to build wind farms off Rhode Island’s shore are slowly moving ahead, making the state a national leader in renewable energy, the secretary of the Interior said Tuesday. Deepwater Wind plans to build two offshore wind farms near its Providence base, a five-turbine farm off Block Island, and a 200-turbine, 1,000-megawatt farm between Block Island and Martha’s Vineyard. The company was the winning bidder in August in the US government’s first auction of offshore wind-power leases. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said the auction is evidence that offshore wind projects long in planning can become a reality. Jewell was in Rhode Island Tuesday to address an offshore wind conference sponsored by the American Wind Energy Association. “This is a part of the country that is leading this effort, Rhode Island in particular,” she said.
PROVIDENCE