Dive Brief:

• The first U.S. offshore wind farm could create 300 construction jobs in Rhode Island when construction begins this summer, state officials said at a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday.

• The five-turbine wind farm is slated to begin operating off Rhode Island’s Block Island in the fall of 2016, The Boston Herald reported. Developer Deepwater Wind has said the project will generate enough power to run 17,000 homes.

• CEO Jeffrey Grybowski told The Herald about plans to build additional wind farms. “This is just the start of something much bigger,” he said.

Dive Insight:

Rhode Island officials have touted the project as the foundation of a “growth industry” in the state. "This is an opportunity to create jobs in a new industry," Gov. Gina Raimondo said. "And it's an opportunity for us, the state of Rhode Island, to stake out real leadership in this growing industry."