The “first commercial-scale offshore wind farm” construction has started in the United States.

The groundbreaking ceremony, which took place on Thursday, is another step forward for America’s fledgling offshore wind industry. The 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind 1 facility, which is located 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard near Cape Cod in Massachusetts, is expected to start sending power to the grid in 2023.

“This project and others across the country will create robust and sustainable economies that lift up communities and support good-paying jobs, while also ensuring future generations have a livable planet,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said.

According to Vineyard Wind, Covell’s Beach in Barnstable is “the site where two cables will make landfall and connect to the grid at a substation further inland on Cape Cod.” The wind farm will utilize 62 of General Electric’s massive Haliade-X turbines to generate electricity for over 400,000 Massachusetts homes and businesses.

Carbon emissions are estimated to be reduced by nearly 1.6 million metric tons per year as a result of the project. According to Vineyard Wind, this equates to removing 325,000 cars from the road each year.

Christian T. Skakkebæk, senior partner and co-founder of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners said, “The US offshore wind industry holds tremendous promise for both job creation and reducing carbon pollution, and today’s groundbreaking, while historic, is just the first of many steps the industry will take as it grows.”

Kathleen Theoharides, Massachusetts’ Energy and Environmental Affairs secretary, said that “the start of onshore construction for the Vineyard Wind project marks the beginning of a historic new chapter for this industry in the United States.”

While the United States is trying to increase its offshore wind capacity, the migration of fossil fuels remains to be a challenge. The United States launched an auction for oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, just last week.

With energy age expected to begin in 2023, the Vineyard Wind 1 venture will give power to in excess of 400,000 homes and organizations in Massachusetts and is relied upon to lessen fossil fuel byproducts by more than 1.6 million tons each year.