Investors and elected official take a ride on the Martha’s Vineyard Fast Ferry to take a tour of the construction site of the country’s first wind farm. Photo by Andrew Augustus, WPRO News

Andrew Augustus, WPRO News

A 30 foot tall foundation stands tall in the middle of the Atlantic as it is the first structure for America’s first offshore wind project. Deepwater wind started construction on Sunday and CEO Jeffrey Grybowski calls the project “historic.”

“We know the world is watching closely what we do here, and we’re incredibly proud to be at the forefront of a new American clean-tech industry launching right here in the Ocean State,” said Grybowski.

Aboard the boat was the entire Rhode Island Congressional Delegation, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, Governor Gina Raimondo, local elected officials, and investors.

“It’s an exciting day. This is the first ever, in America, offshore wind farm and it’s happening in Rhode Island,” said Raimondo.

The first of five foundation installations kicks off a busy construction period of the 30-megawatt Block Island Wind Farm. Once completed, there will be five wind turbines off the coast of Block Island. Five steel jacket foundations will be installed this week.

“It’s in about 90 feet of water, and the foundation is sticking up about 30 feet above the waterline. So we need to complete that foundation over the next week,” said Grybowski.

Submarine cable installation is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2016 and erection of the five Alstom Haliade 6 MW offshore wind turbines is scheduled for the summer of 2016. Grybowski says next year at this time there will be another tour to see the turbines.

“We think it is the beginning of a great future for renewable energy and it’s great to see steel in the water,” said Secretary Jewell. “Rhode Island should be really proud, it stepped up early on, it worked hard with all kinds of stakeholders.”

The project is scheduled to be in-service and generating power in the fourth quarter of 2016.