Senator Reed joined labor and environmental leaders on a tour of Deepwater Wind’s new 30-megawatt, 5-turbine Block Island Wind Farm, which will be operational by the end of 2016 and will be the first offshore wind farm to be constructed in the United States. The tour was co-hosted by the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council, the National Wildlife Federation, and the BlueGreen Alliance. The tour set off from Quonset and featured a speaking program on the way to the island, where officials from Deepwater Wind and Local 37 Ironworkers provided details on the project and highlighted recent advancements in construction, which began early in 2015. Once in operation, the wind farm will generate enough electricity to power 17,000 homes and will provide most of Block Island’s needed power, create local jobs, and reduce air pollution across southern New England. Senator Reed serves as the co-Chair of the Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus and has worked for years in support of the offshore wind project.
