Block Island, a cherished summer escape located off the Rhode Island coast, boasts a year-round population of around a thousand residents. It’s famous for its pristine beaches, dramatic bluffs, and charming Victorian inns. More recently, however, it has also become known as home to the nation’s inaugural commercial offshore wind farm.
These turbines began generating electricity in 2016, a year that saw significant political shifts. Despite a challenging political climate for offshore wind in the United States, with a previous administration criticizing such projects, Block Islanders have a compelling narrative to share. Wind power has, in fact, transformed their lives in unexpectedly positive ways.
A Series on Local Environmental Solutions
This article is part of “50 States, 50 Fixes,” a series highlighting community-driven solutions to environmental challenges across the country.
“The benefits have been extraordinary,” affirmed Keith Stover, who leads the island’s Town Council.
Before these five majestic turbines began rotating a few miles offshore, Block Island relied entirely on five large diesel generators. These machines were not only loud and emitted unsightly soot, but they also consumed a million gallons of diesel annually, transported from the mainland by tanker trucks and stored underground. Residents recall how the volatile oil market made energy costs unpredictable, posing significant challenges for local businesses. Power fluctuations often damaged household appliances, and even clocks struggled to keep accurate time. Those living near the power plant regularly had to scrub soot from their windows and clean curtains monthly.
Then, on a pivotal morning – May 1, 2017, at 5:30 a.m. – with the offshore turbines fully operational, the island’s utility company finally shut down its old generators. As the loud motors gradually quieted, a new sound emerged, strikingly clear and surprisingly vibrant in the sudden calm: birdsong.
“I still get chills when I think about it,” shared Barbara MacMullan, a three-decade resident and current head of the local nonprofit power company’s board.
The wind farm’s implementation, a state-initiated project to showcase the viability of such ventures, also led to Block Island’s connection to the mainland grid via a $120 million undersea cable. The old diesel generators now sit silent, reserved only for emergencies.
This undersea cable brought another significant advancement: broadband internet. Before its arrival, internet speeds were so painfully slow that locals often resorted to taking a boat to the mainland just for a reliable connection. The school struggled to maintain sufficient bandwidth even for state-mandated testing. Now, residents can effortlessly stream popular shows, and those with vacation homes, along with visiting friends and family, can extend their stays thanks to remote work capabilities.
Remarkably, the cost of electricity on Block Island is now less than a third of what it would have been if the island were still dependent on diesel, according to Jeffrey Wright, president of the Block Island Utility District. (He is unrelated to another prominent energy figure who has publicly criticized wind energy as being expensive and unreliable.)
The presence of the turbines hasn’t negatively impacted tourism, notes Jessica Willi, executive director of the Block Island Tourism Council. In fact, she believes the improved electricity and internet services are crucial for attracting and retaining visitors. While initial novelty saw boat tours to the turbines and themed merchandise, that trend has subsided. However, chartered fishing trips around the turbines remain popular.
Naturally, not every Block Islander embraces offshore wind, especially as larger wind projects become visible on the horizon. This includes Revolution Wind, a 65-turbine site that faced an abrupt halt in construction by a previous administration when it was 80 percent complete. Fortunately, a recent court ruling allowed construction to resume while legal challenges from the developer and the states of Rhode Island and Connecticut continue.
During the day, these distant turbines appear as tiny white specks, like minuscule toothpicks against the sky. However, they become far more prominent at night, blinking with red lights.
Some residents express regret over the altered seascape, and many commercial fishermen voice discontent about the turbines. Critics also raise questions about the economic viability of offshore wind, often citing it as one of the priciest forms of electricity generation.
Despite these reservations, many Block Islanders are firm advocates for expanding offshore wind, viewing it as essential for combating climate change. At a public meeting two years ago, when lawyers presented on the visual impact and encouraged legal action against Orsted, the developer behind Revolution Wind and another nearby project, South Fork Wind, residents instead defended the projects. They argued that wind power was a preferable alternative to increased oil and gas drilling, leading the town to discontinue its engagement with the attorneys.
“Do we want offshore wind, or do we want more offshore oil drills in the Gulf of Mexico?” Ms. MacMullan posed. “Everything’s a trade-off in this world.”
Locals emphasize that their embrace of wind power stems from a deeply ingrained conservation ethos on the island, where over 40 percent of the land is protected from development.
A now-deceased local philanthropist established the Solar Initiative, a group that offers subsidies to residents interested in installing solar panels, heat pumps, and electric vehicle charging stations. He also generously donated an electric bus to the school and an electric truck to the utility company.
The wind farm also paved the way for Block Island to establish Rhode Island’s first electricity cooperative. Previously, the utility was owned by private investors who had rejected the town’s earlier acquisition offers. However, with the new wind farm signaling a departure from diesel dependency, the owners decided it was an opportune moment to sell. Creating the cooperative necessitated new state legislation, a task diligently undertaken by a town task force. Now, as Mr. Wright proudly states, the consumers themselves govern their power supply.
“The direction I get from my board is directly from the consumers,” he reiterated.
Generating more energy than the island requires, the wind farm feeds its surplus into the broader grid. Simultaneously, recognizing that wind power can be intermittent and more costly, the island strategically purchases a diversified energy mix from the grid. This standard practice provides a more secure arrangement, akin to a well-balanced stock portfolio.
Since 2024, Block Island has been offsetting its energy mix, which previously included fossil fuels, with renewable energy certificates. Yet, “our members weren’t entirely satisfied with that,” Mr. Wright explained. Consequently, come November, the island is committed to sourcing 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources.
While a previous administration criticized offshore wind for its supposed negative impact on birds and whales, Block Island residents readily point to common modern-day factors that are far more detrimental to wildlife. For example, outdoor cats and large windows are estimated to cause billions of bird fatalities annually in the U.S. alone, while fishing gear entanglement and boat collisions pose a lethal threat to whales. Among wind power’s staunchest island supporters are Ms. MacMullan, who volunteers in seal rescue, and Kim Gaffett, an active participant in bird conservation for over four decades.
“I am a bird person, but I’m also an environmentalist, and I’m really concerned about the Earth and our use of fossil fuels,” stated Ms. Gaffett, who was also the head of the Town Council during the wind farm’s planning phase. “So I’m really into alternatives, and I think wind is a really positive one.”
She emphasized the crucial role of site selection, noting that the area off Block Island proved ideal because migrating songbirds generally follow coastal routes closer to the mainland, and ducks typically fly at altitudes below the turbine blades.
Recreational anglers, too, report excellent fishing around the turbines, where the submerged structures have formed thriving artificial reefs.
And the benefits extend beyond the immediate vicinity of the turbines. During a recent fishing excursion a few miles away this month, Mr. Stover recounted hooking a sizable bonito, only for a large gray seal to snatch it as he reeled it in. Moments later, the surprising incident repeated itself.