Block Island Wind Farm
Located in Rhode Island state waters, 6 km from Block Island. 34 km submarine cable to mainland Narragansett, RI. Project cost ~$290M.
Status
Operationallifecycle stage
Ownership
Ørsted — 100% ◆Location
United StatesNorthwest Atlantic
Technology
Capacity
30 MW ◆
Turbines
5 × 6 MW ◆
Model
GE Haliade 150-6-0 ◆
Foundation
Jacket ◆
Site & conditions
Site rights
Seabed rights held ∴
Water depth
20–30 m ◆
Distance from shore
6 km ◆
Wind speed
9.2 m/s @ 100 m ≈
Revenue & grid
Offtake
PPA ◇
Grid
Secured · 2016-12 ◆
Connection
National Grid Rhode Island; 34 km submarine cable landfall at … ◆
Schedule
FID
Mar 2015 ◇
COD
2016-Q4 ◆
Project timeline & ownership verified milestones on the spine · ownership from Hafrok’s transactions record
Portfolio sale · 2018-10
Deepwater Wind (D.E. Shaw Group) → Ørsted 100%
- Stake
- 100%
- Consideration
- not disclosed
- Announced
- 2018-10
- Closed
- 2018-11
- Project stage
- operational
Ørsted (formerly DONG Energy) acquired 100% of Deepwater Wind LLC from its principal owner the D.E. Shaw Group for a total portfolio consideration of USD 510 million. The Deepwater Wind acquisition closed on November 8, 2018. The portfolio included: Block Island Wind Farm (30 MW, operational since December 2016 — the first US commercial offshore wind farm), South Fork Wind (~130 MW, pre-FID), Revolution Wind (~700 MW, pre-FID), and development rights/lease areas with a combined potential of ~3.3 GW. Block Island was valued at approximately USD 290 million in total project cost at completion; however, the USD 510 million Deepwater Wind deal price covered the entire portfolio and cannot be allocated to Block Island alone. The transaction was a portfolio acquisition; see also South Fork Wind and Revolution Wind for companion records covering those assets' later farmdown to Eversource. Ørsted USD 510m × 0.85 (2018 rate) = EUR 434m for the full portfolio. Original USD source: $510m (USD). Converted at USD/EUR 0.85 (2018).
Evidence
- orsted.com — Ørsted acquires Deepwater Wind and creates leading US offshore wind platform ↗ 2018-10 ◆ held
- offshoreWIND.biz — Ørsted Completes Deepwater Wind Takeover ↗ 2018-10 ◆ held
- power-technology.com — Ørsted concludes Deepwater Wind acquisition for $510m ↗ 2018-10 ◆ held
From Hafrok’s transactions record
Dashed tick marks today (9 Sep 2026). Ownership lives in the band below: one station per recorded deal, dated at its label, in deal order rather than to calendar scale. Secondary trades appear only at the interchanges; grey lines are parties whose entry or exit Hafrok’s record does not hold.
Announced-COD history: 2016-Q4→2016-Q4 · 2 recorded revisions · held (announced 2016-Q4, unchanged)
Revenue & offtake contract duration and price levels · money of the day
30 MW contracted — utility PPA
● Utility PPA · Rhode Island Block Island Wind Farm PPA (Deepwater Wind / National Grid)
Price$244/MWh ·Capacity30 MWAwarded2010Installation how the build is going · from satellite counts and Hafrok’s registers
Installation complete
not yet surveyed by satellite; the built farm can be, on request
Installation · on record
StageOperational
In operation since2016-Q4
Offshore construction2015-07 → 2016-Q4
Construction ports
PortPort of Providence ◇turbine assembly and staging
Sources & verification
15/18 fields verified · rests on 12 sources (6 primary) · ◆ 7 documents held
◆Verified≈Modelled◇Sourced∴Inferred⌁Convention○Unverified∅No source·Derived
Numbers are stable citation ids — grouped by source class, so they are not consecutive.
Operator4
[1]
Ørsted A/S2018-12◆ Connecticut Regulators Approve Revolutio…
“Block Island, America's first offshore wind farm, comprises five General Electric 6MW turbines with a total capacity of 30MW. The Block Island wind farm, located 3 miles from Block Island, Rhode Islan…”
supportsCommercial operationCOD historyTurbinesUnit capacityTotal capacity+2 more
[2]
Ørsted A/S2021-02◆ Ørsted Annual Report 2020
“Deepwater Wind Block Island, LLC, Delaware, the US S 100 % Deepwater Wind Block Island Holdings, LLC, Delaware, the US S 100 % Deepwater Wind Block Island Transmission, LLC, Delaware, the US S 100 %”
supportsoperator
[4]
U.S. Department of the Interior2015-07-27◆ Secretary Jewell, Director Hopper Laud C…
"Steel in the water milestone for America's first commercial scale offshore wind farm. Five-turbine, 30-megawatt wind farm in state waters about three nautical miles southeast of Block Island. Turbine…
supportsConsentOnshore constructionOffshore constructionSite rightsConsent granted
[6]
U.S. Energy Information Administration2016-12◆ Federal leasing for offshore wind grows …
“The first commercial U.S. offshore wind farm, Block Island, is scheduled to come online in late 2016. Block Island consists of five wind turbines that will produce 30 megawatts (MW) of electricity. Al…”
supportsBackground
Auction results1
[13]
Wikipedia (citing RI PUC docket)2017◆ ri-block-2010-puc
In 2009 Deepwater signed a PPA with National Grid to sell power at an initial 24.4 c/kWh, with a guaranteed 3.5% annual increase.
supportsUtility PPA · Rhode Island Block Island Wind Farm PPA (Deepwater Wind / National Grid)
Trade press7
[3]
Ørsted A/S (via GlobeNewswire)2018-10-08◆ Ørsted acquires Deepwater Wind and creat…
“Block Island, America's first offshore wind farm, comprises five General Electric 6MW turbines with a total capacity of 30MW. The Block Island wind farm, located 3 miles from Block Island, Rhode Islan…”
supportsBackground
[5]
Offshore Energy2010-08-13
Press report — cited, not quoted; read it at the source link.
supportsMechanismDetail
[7]
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL / Tethys)2024◆ Block Island Wind Farm | Tethys
“Installed capacity: 30 MW. Number of turbines: 5. Turbine model: Haliade 150-6 MW. Support structure: Jacket foundation (pile-driven). Distance from shore: 6.1 km. Water depth: 22-31 m. Construction s…”
supportsModelFoundationWater depthDistance from shoreCoordinates
[8]
Clean Energy States Alliance2018
“Deepwater Wind used four Rhode Island ports – Block Island, Galilee, Quonset Point and ProvPort – to complete construction and staging.”
supportsturbine assembly and staging
[9]
GlobalData / Power Technology2017
Press report — cited, not quoted; read it at the source link.
supportsFinal investment decision
[10]
Marine Log2016-12-13
“DECEMBER 13, 2016 — America's first offshore wind farm is up and running. Deepwater Wind reported yesterday that the Block Island Wind Farm has completed its commissioning and testing phases and has b…”
supportsFirst power
[11]