Finally, NIMBY -- Rhode Island "Man's Up" -- Will Allow Off-Shore Wind Farm -- July 19, 2015

USA Today is reporting: nation's first (?) off-short wind farm is becoming a reality, and finally it's a wind farm not in my backyard or anybody's backyard for that matter, unless you are one of 17,000 homeowners on an island off Rhode Island who seem genuinely eager for this project.
Deepwater Wind expects delivery this week of foundations that will support five wind turbines off Block Island, a small tourist destination 12 miles from Rhode Island’s shore.
Data points:

• $225 million project
• turbines to be installed in late 2016
• 30 MW
• 17,000 homes
• at 589 feet above sea level, the turbines will be among the tallest in the world
• Block Island, which now relies on expensive diesel fuel to keep its lights on

Obviously, the island will still need back-up power when the wind is not blowing or not blowing at the right speed. 

$225 million / 30 MW = $7.5 million / MW and this will probably provide only about 40% of energy needs -- due to variability of the wind. The back-up energy, I assume, will still be "expensive diesel fuel."

I would think one could buy a lot of diesel fuel for $225 million. But then that's just me.

Having said that, this is exactly the right niche for wind and solar energy; for "islands" (anywhere on earth) that find it challenging to import or access fossil fuels.