Experts say Revolution Wind can provide energy security during global volatility

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — After a long and bumpy road to the finish line, the Revolution Wind project has officially begun sending power to New England’s electric grid.

The milestone marks a turning point for the offshore wind farm, located roughly 15 miles off the coast of Rhode Island, which is now generating electricity for the local grid over a decade after it was first conceptualized.

“It’s been a long time coming,” local experts said of the 65-turbine project.

Ryan Medeiros reports on Revolution Wind finally sending energy to New England. (WJAR)

Dan Carrigg, a political science professor at the University of Rhode Island and a former official with the state’s Office of Energy Resources, noted that the project addresses a critical pillar of modern energy policy: security.

“When you think about energy policy, there are always three goals: affordability, environmental sustainability, and the third goal is security,” Carrigg said.

He emphasized that the third factor was especially vital given current global volatility in the energy market.

Carrigg said offshore wind offers a stable, 20-year purchasing contract with predictable pricing.

Fellow URI professor Corey Lang, who specializes in environmental and natural resource economics, said the region is uniquely positioned to tap into consistent and high offshore wind speeds.

Rhode Island is set to receive more than half of the energy output from the project, which Lang said should be enough to power 200,000 households.

Lang added that he does not believe the project will significantly impact consumers’ wallets.

“The power purchase agreement was for about $0.10 per kilowatt hour, which is below the rate we’re currently paying for Rhode Island Energy,” Lang said. “So my guess is that it will not raise rates. It may lower them, but that depends on more market factors.”

Despite the milestone, the project has remained a subject of heavy scrutiny from the Trump administration.

In a statement to the Associated Press on Friday night, a White House spokesperson said President Trump has “reversed course on Joe Biden’s costly green energy agenda that gave preferential treatment to intermittent, unreliable energy sources.”

The spokesperson added that the president “looks forward to ultimate victory on this issue.”