This case examines the long and complex journey behind Vineyard Wind 1, the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the United States. Though its turbines sit 30 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, most of the work took place onshore—navigating stakeholder resistance, environmental regulations, landfall challenges, and legacy political opposition.

Led by CEO Klaus Moeller, Vineyard Wind was a joint venture between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Avangrid. The project endured a decade of negotiation, litigation, and opposition from coastal communities, fishermen, and environmental groups concerned about whales and viewlines. Yet it also activated a wide set of community champions—from New Bedford’s mayor to Indigenous tribes, vocational colleges, and nonprofit groups that helped legitimize the effort.

The case captures how renewable energy developers must lead across systems, balancing corporate, political, and cultural interests. It examines the broader context of the U.S. offshore wind ecosystem, the implications of transmission challenges, and the risks of being first in a nascent domestic industry.