May 2026

VINEYARD POWER SPRING NEWSLETTER

Dear ,

Hibernation is over on MV! After a particularly snowy winter, the team at Vineyard Power is grateful to be welcoming the longer days and the blossoming of Spring as some of our favorite seasonal businesses open for the year. Read on to see how Vineyard Power kept busy over the offseason and what we have planned for Spring and early Summer!

Updates

Vineyard Wind 1 Update

The Vineyard Wind 1 project installed the last of its 62 turbines in March of this year, becoming the nation’s largest completed offshore wind farm. With the project complete, it is now supplying affordable electricity to the New England power grid for years to come. Here are some statistics that help to put Vineyard Wind 1’s impact in the region into perspective:

1.6 million metric tons of carbon emissions eliminated annually - the equivalent of removing 325,000 gas vehicles from the road each year.
$1.4 billion in direct bill savings for MA ratepayers
Protection against volatile fossil fuel energy prices
Funding $7.5 million in direct community benefits to Martha's Vineyard

Following the end of construction, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced in late April that the commonwealth has activated its power purchase agreement with Vineyard Wind, which establishes a suppressed cost for electricity generated by offshore wind that is expected to save ratepayers approximately $1.4 billion over the 20-year lifetime of the project.

Business Energy Assessments

Hey small business owners! Getting ready for another summer season on MV? Get your business ready by signing up for a no-cost Mass Save Business Energy Assessment through Cape Light Compact! A certified energy specialist will examine your place of business, make recommendations to improve its energy efficiency, and help you unlock thousands of dollars in incentives on energy upgrades. Benefits for businesses include but are not limited to:

$2,000/ton rebate on Air Source Heat Pumps
Between 70-100% coverage on weatherization and insulation
Up to 50% coverage on lighting upgrades
100% coverage on instant savings measures such as programmable thermostats and water-saving devices

SAVE THE DATE: Cape Light Compact plans to run its door-to-door Main Streets outreach effort on Martha's Vineyard from September 14th-25th to help island businesses enroll to receive no-cost energy assessments.

Any interested businesses can sign up for a no-cost assessment ahead of time using the link provided here, or can call 774-470-8998 to speak with a member of the Cape Light Compact team to learn more.

Need more guidance? Book a no-cost Energy Coaching session with Vineyard Power! Our team of experts can help you follow through on any potential upgrades, secure available benefits, and ensure that you're making informed and cost-effective decisions about energy in your building.

Meshackett Commons Ribbon Cutting

After breaking ground in November of 2024, the Island Housing Trust will be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony this month to celebrate the completion of the Meshacket Commons affordable housing development in Edgartown. Vineyard Power worked alongside IHT and pledged $260,000 to the organization to support the development of solar PV to subsidize energy costs for residents of Meshackett Commons, as well as at IHT’s Kuehn’s Way, Tackenash Knoll, Veteran's House, and 401 State Road housing developments.

Vineyard Power is proud to partner with IHT as they continue their efforts to provide energy-efficient and affordable housing to island residents!

Click on the links below to learn more about each of IHT’s affordable housing developments:

A sketch of IHT's Meshackett Commons affordable housing development

Solar Car Race Program

April was a busy month for Vineyard Power’s renewable energy education program! We had the opportunity to run our Solar Car Race program with the 7th graders at the Tisbury and Edgartown elementary schools, as well as with the campers at the Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club during April break. The lesson sees students learn about different types of energy and energy conversions, and then has them apply their new knowledge into a hands-on activity that pits teams of students against one another in a competition to design functioning model solar cars!

Here’s a look at our recent programs at the MVBGC and middle schools! Local educators interested in setting up a lesson on renewable energy for their class or group can get in touch with hollis@vineyardpower.org to ask about available programs or visit the Education page on the Vineyard Power website to learn more!

Vineyard Power x Bluedot Living

Vineyard Power is happy to be included in Bluedot Living Martha’s Vineyard’s Green Guide 2026! The Green Guide is set to be released later this month and will be available to read for free on Bluedot Martha's Vineyard's website.

Bluedot Living Martha’s Vineyard is a great resource for local climate news and tips on maintaining a sustainable lifestyle. To read more about Vineyard Power, we’d encourage you to browse the features we’ve worked to publish with Bluedot Living over the past few years. Each piece provides further insights into who we are, what we’re doing, and resources you can use along the path to decarbonization.

Send Us Your Mass Save Stories!

Have you utilized the Mass Save program in the past to complete energy upgrades for your home or business? We want to hear about your experience!

In a tight-knit community such as ours, we recognize that no outreach method or advertisement is as affective as an endorsement from a trusted friend or neighbor. Send your Mass Save stories to us at info@vineyardpower.org and we’ll share them on our website’s Customer Testimonial page to encourage more islanders to follow on the path to decarbonization!

Upcoming Events

Edgartown Library Tabling Event

May 12th from 3:30pm-5:30pm

Tisbury Senior Center Tabling

May 14th from 11:00am-1:00pm

Chilmark Library Tabling Event

May 19th from 3:30pm-5:00pm

Events Calendar

What we're keeping an eye on...

BOSTON (CBSNews.com) —

Across Massachusetts, new climate-tech companies are hiring, aimed at changing the state's energy future in many ways.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center calls it the Climate Tech Corridor, a network of innovation that stretches from the Berkshires to the Cape.

That mix of research, manufacturing, and natural resources forms the foundation of a ten year plan to expand the clean energy economy, create high quality jobs, attract private investment, and ensure that every region of the Commonwealth benefits from the transition to clean energy.

MASSACHUSETTS (MIT.edu) — Hydrogen sits at the center of some of the world’s most important industrial processes, but its production still comes with a heavy environmental cost. Today, most hydrogen is produced through high-emissions processes like steam methane reforming and coal gasification.

However, hydrogen can also be made by splitting water molecules using renewable electricity, eliminating fossil fuel emissions and other toxic byproducts. Such “green hydrogen” is made by running an electric current through water in an electrolyzer.

Green hydrogen won’t scale through decarbonization alone. It also has to be cost-competitive with the traditional methods of production.

BOSTON (Mass.gov) —

The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced $8.7 million in grant funding to support 34 projects that increase energy efficiency and generate renewable energy. The funding is going to municipal water facilities, agricultural and food-producing non-profits and small businesses, working to modernize operations and save energy.

The Gap Energy Grant Program, administered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), helps fill the last “gap” in project financing. Recipients can combine these grants with utility incentives and other funding sources to build or install energy efficiency and clean energy projects that might otherwise be delayed or impossible.

Like what you see? Donate to VP!

Vineyard Power is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization capable of receiving charitable donations. We rely on support from folks like you to advance renewable energy, energy efficiency, and equity in our island community. Please consider making a fully tax-deductible donation today!

Sincerely,

The Vineyard Power Team

vineyardpower.org | 508-693-3002 | info@vineyardpower.org

Connect with us on our socials: