America's two operational offshore wind farms demonstrated strong performance during the northeastern U.S.'s recent brutal cold weather, matching gas plants and outperforming coal. This reliability came amid extreme demand, including during Winter Storm Fern in January. The data highlights the value of offshore wind even as federal policies challenge its expansion.
In January, bone-chilling cold and Arctic winds strained electricity systems across the northeastern United States, driving up power prices as heating demand surged. Early performance data reveals that the nation's two utility-scale offshore wind farms—South Fork Wind and Vineyard Wind—played a key role in maintaining electricity supply during this period.
South Fork Wind, a 132-megawatt project off Long Island, New York, achieved a capacity factor of 52 percent for the month, equivalent to the state's most efficient gas-fired plants. Operational since 2024, it supplies power to about 70,000 homes and recorded a 54 percent capacity factor from December 2024 to March 2025. Vineyard Wind, a 600-megawatt facility off Massachusetts that is 95 percent complete, reached a 75 percent capacity factor during Winter Storm Fern.
Experts highlighted these results at the Oceantic Network's International Partnering Forum in New York City on Tuesday. Liz Burdock, president and CEO of Oceantic Network, stated, “Performance data is showing in real time that offshore wind delivers reliable power when the grid needs it the most … at the scale this region and our country need.”
The performance underscores offshore wind's potential for densely populated coastal areas, especially in winter when gas supplies tighten. Vineyard Wind's power will cost $84.23 per megawatt-hour, far below the $870 per MWh spot prices during the storm, which forced utilities to activate costly oil plants. Katie Dykes, Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection commissioner, noted, “Variable resources like wind and solar, when they’re operating during these cold weather periods, they’re actually helping to keep a lid on prices.”
This comes amid federal opposition to offshore wind development. The Trump administration issued stop-work orders on five projects, including Vineyard Wind, citing national security concerns, though courts have permitted them to continue. Officials plan to appeal these rulings. Future projects like Ørsted’s Sunrise Wind and Equinor’s Empire Wind could add 1.7 gigawatts, powering over 10 percent of New York City and Long Island's needs. Gary Stephenson, a senior vice president for the Long Island Power Authority, remarked, “I really wish we had that Sunrise facility online. That would have taken so much pressure off the natural gas system.”