Offshore wind farms off the New England coast delivered hundreds of megawatts of power during a July heat wave, cutting the region's use of oil-fired plants. Data from the period showed a notable drop compared to a similar event the previous year.
Two projects, Vineyard Wind and Revolution Wind, helped meet peak demand as air conditioner use rose sharply earlier this month. Oil provided nearly 10 percent of the region's power on July 2, 2026, down from nearly 15 percent on June 24, 2025, according to Grid Status. The change represented a decline of more than a gigawatt in oil generation.
Tim Ennis, a Grid Status analyst, said the wind output and a new hydropower line from Canada kept oil plants from running as hard during midday peaks. New England produced 42.2 gigawatt-hours of oil-fired power over the four-day period from July 1 to 4, a 37 percent reduction from the prior year's comparable stretch.
The 806-megawatt Vineyard Wind project completed construction in March, with 49 of its 62 turbines active by early May. Revolution Wind, at 704 megawatts, began grid deliveries in March and is scheduled for full operations in the second half of 2026. The 132-megawatt South Fork Wind farm off New York also ran near capacity on July 2.
ISO New England has noted the value of these resources for reliability during extreme heat. The projects reached this stage despite prior federal efforts to halt construction.