In the summer of 2024, the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) asked me to accompany some of their staff on a tour of the South Fork Wind Farm, 19 miles off the coast of Block Island, Rhode Island. South Fork is one of the first and most significant wind farm installations on the Atlantic Coast of the U.S. It was a bumpy ride, but worth the trip to see these massive turbines up close. (You can see how bumpy in this Instagram Reel.) From sea level to the tip of the top turbine blade is 800 feet.
CLF has worked for years to advocate for responsible development of offshore wind. We need carbon free electricity sources to mitigate the negative consequences of climate change on New England’s coastline and off-shore waters. Wind farms are an excellent source of carbon-free electricity. One turn of one of the above turbines can power a home for 24 hours. The South Fork Wind Farm‘s 12 turbines generate enough electricity to power 70,000 homes on Long Island. CLF and other organizations worked with the developer of South Fork during the planning stages to insure it was developed and operated in a way that limited its impact on whales, especially the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale.
Here’s a gallery of wind farm photos from other locations:
To see some of my past work on clean energy, check out this post about documenting a solar farm installation: https://ecophotography.com/new-client-work-solar-energy-photos-and-videos/
Cheers!
-Jerry
