With Much of the World’s Economy Slowed Down, Green Energy Powers On

With Much of the World’s Economy Slowed Down, Green Energy Powers On

After a two-hour boat trip from Lowestoft, a seaside town on the east coast of England, giant wind mills more than 500 feet high loomed out of the mist like enormous sea creatures. High atop the towers, technicians in helmets and red-and-black protective suits were visible, fine-tuning the machines and hooking them up to the British power system.

Britain has been under various stages of lockdown since March, but work on this wind farm, called East Anglia One, has charged ahead.

But early on, the companies behind the 2.5 billion pound ($3.1 billion) project weren't so sure.

As the coronavirus was gathering momentum across Europe, managers called a one-day halt in late March to consider whether pushing forward made sense. New health and safety measures would inevitably drain resources.

"We had to do a check and say 'OK, should the project continue?' and we asked ourselves with a very open mind,“ said Charlie Jordan, the project director for Iberdrola, the Spanish utility developing the project.

The answer was "yes.“ Work resumed the next day, and hasn't stopped.

Image"We had to do a check and say 'OK, should the project continue?'“ said Charlie Jordan, director of the East Anglia One offshore project.Credit...Suzie Howell for The New York