http://orendaenergy.com/does-wind-turbine-blade-length-really-matter/
When Samuel Slater sneaked out of England in the late eighteenth century with smuggled plans to build an innovative textile mill, little did he know that his bold idea for Pawtucket, Rhode Island, would ignite the Industrial Revolution that would transform America in major and inspired ways.
Now, once again, Rhode Island is making history, with the first offshore wind farm in North America. Local company Deepwater Wind recently announced its plans for a fully funded wind farm off the coast of Block Island with five wind turbines that will be able to provide 30 megawatts (MW) of power -- enough to provide clean energy to all Block Island residents, cutting electric rates in half.
In addition to making history and setting up Rhode Island as a leader in clean energy, the new wind farm will also free Block Island from burning more than a million gallons of dirty diesel each year.
The Block Island project is a big step forward for the offshore wind industry and for Deepwater Wind -- but it's just a small piece of what is to come for New England. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has designated a wind-management area off the coasts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts that has the potential of 9,000 MW of clean wind power. That means cleaner air and water for New England families.
The potential for offshore wind power in New England is huge -- and if history shows us anything, it's that one splash in Rhode Island can start a wave of transformation all over the nation.