PARIS, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- French conglomerate Alstom said Tuesday its role in a pilot wind farm slated for Rhode Island's coast shows its commitment to the emerging U.S. power sector.
Alstom was picked by Rhode Island energy company Deepwater Wind to supply five 150 megawatt wind turbines for a wind farm set for the state's coast.
"Our contract with Deepwater Wind further demonstrates our commitment to the expanding U.S. wind market," Andy Geissbuelher, director of Alstom's North American wind business, said in a statement Tuesday.
The five turbines combined will have the capacity to produce enough power from the Block Island wind farm to meet the annual energy demands of more than 17,000 homes.
Deepwater Wind last year was the winner of the first U.S. auction for commercial wind energy developments slated for the eastern coast. The company said in a separate statement, issued Monday, the agreement with Alstom puts it in a leadership position in the U.S. offshore wind energy industry.
"This agreement represents a giant leap forward for the Block Island wind farm, and the start of turbine construction just last month marked a major project milestone," Deepwater Wind Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Grybowski said in a statement.
Construction of the Block Island wind farm begins next year.
