The U.S.’ Smallest State Has Big Renewable Energy Ambitions

“Though she is little, she is fierce.” A line from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream or an appropriate description for the State of Rhode Island? Judging by its milestones in the renewable energy industry, the smallest state in the U.S. is living up to this mantra. Rhode Island made history in 2016 when Deepwater Wind, based locally out of Providence, built the country’s first operating offshore wind project, the 30 MW Block Island Wind Farm. Earlier this month, Danish energy company Ørsted scooped up Deepwater Wind in a $510 million deal, creating a U.S. offshore wind powerhouse Ørsted US Offshore Wind based jointly out of Boston and Providence. In the newly merged company’s development pipeline is Revolution Wind, a 600 MW offshore facility situated between Massachusetts and Rhode Island and poised to deliver 400 MW of power to Rhode Island.