Distance from land to wind turbines clarified
Block Island Times|Lars Trodson|August 14, 2015
The following interview was conducted, written and edited by Lars Trodson on Tuesday, Aug. 11. It was learned later that day that the one steel jacket foundation placed in the water so far, which was subsequently damaged when it was hit by a barge, was taken out of the water. The Block Island Times sent in a series of six questions to Deepwater Wind regarding the condition, repair and current location of the foundation, and received the following response: 
“The damaged jacket was removed this week for inspection and repairs. In the meantime, we will proceed with installation of the other jackets. We do not expect the repair and reinstallation to impact our overall project schedule.”
Here is the information regarding the distance of the …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]The following interview was conducted, written and edited by Lars Trodson on Tuesday, Aug. 11. It was learned later that day that the one steel jacket foundation placed in the water so far, which was subsequently damaged when it was hit by a barge, was taken out of the water. The Block Island Times sent in a series of six questions to Deepwater Wind regarding the condition, repair and current location of the foundation, and received the following response:
“The damaged jacket was removed this week for inspection and repairs. In the meantime, we will proceed with installation of the other jackets. We do not expect the repair and reinstallation to impact our overall project schedule.”
Here is the information regarding the distance of the wind turbines from shore:
Just as the first steel jacket foundations entered the water off the coast of Block Island a few weeks ago, a central question seemed to arise: Are those structures actually three miles off the coast of Block Island? And from which point, exactly, is Deepwater Wind measuring the distance?
The Block Island Times sought clarification. The following answers were provided by Jon Duffy of the communications firm Duffy & Shanley:
Q. How many steel foundations have been placed in the water as of Aug. 10, 2015?
A: The jacket for turbine No. 1 was placed in the water prior to Aug. 10, 2015. We anticipate setting the jacket for turbine No. 2 in the coming days.
Q. The Block Island Wind Farm will consist of five turbines. Are the steel jackets now in the water the ones closest to the coast of Block Island? The farthest? Or are these the foundations for the turbines in the middle of the five turbine configuration?
A: As depicted in the attached, turbine No. 1 is the closest turbine to Block Island at 2.83 miles.
Q. Deepwater Wind has always defined the turbines as being “three miles off the coast” of Block Island. Is this a precise measurement, or has it been used to round up (or down) the distance?
A: Our Environmental Report states that the Block Island Wind Farms will be located on average approximately three miles southeast of Block Island. From the attached chart, the specific distances are:
Wind Turbine #1: 2.83 miles
WTG #2: 2.91 miles
WTG #3: 2.99 miles
WTG #4: 3.09 miles
WTG #5: 3.21 miles
The average of these distances is approximately three miles.
Q. Is there a specific spot on the island that Deepwater Wind is using to identify the distance of three miles from land to the turbines? Obviously, the island is oddly shaped, and the fixed turbines will be closer or further in distance depending on where one is standing (or lives). Which geographic location is Deepwater Wind using on Block Island to satisfy the three mile distance between land and the turbines?
A: Distance is measured from the closest point on Block Island.
Q. Is there a study, or chart, that can be referenced that indicates the three mile distance between the closest turbine to Block Island land in the configuration and the location that Deepwater Wind is saying is three miles away from that closest turbine.
A: Picture attached