fb-pixelUS interior secretary says wind power progressing in R.I. - The Boston Globe Skip to main content
PROVIDENCE

US interior secretary says wind power progressing in R.I.

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.