June 26, 2026 — Vineyard Wind 1 the country’s first commercial-scale offshore wind project located off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, is finally up and running after years of starts and stops — just not at full capacity.
Gov. Maura Healey along with Massachusetts labor and energy leaders celebrated on Wednesday the completion of the project — which concluded construction in March — in New Bedford, touting its benefits while shrugging off the wind development company’s recent financial disputes that have made headlines and threatened the project.
New Bedford’s Marine Commerce Terminal served as the main gathering point for materials that were transported to the site of Vineyard Wind 1, including turbine components that were prepared for installation. The terminal will continue to serve as Vineyard Wind’s site of operations and maintenance. Over 1,500 union members worked under a project labor agreement out of the terminal.
The $4.5 billion project has supported nearly 4,000 jobs since it began, and operations and maintenance are expected to sustain between 80 and 100 jobs per year moving forward. Vineyard Wind will save Massachusetts families and businesses an estimated $1.4 billion on their electricity bills and will generate enough clean, affordable energy to power over 400,000 homes and businesses in New England, Healey said. The project will reduce carbon emissions by over 1.6 million tons per year, according to Vineyard Wind’s website.