The US uses an astounding amount of energy: about 97 quadrillion BTUs, or about 18% of world's total energy consumption. And demand is only going to increase over time.

The vast majority of the energy the country consumes comes from fossil fuels, and isn't renewable or sustainable. But wind farms offer a promising alternative.

GE and Deepwater Wind, a developer of offshore turbines, have partnered to build five massive wind turbines and install them in the Atlantic Ocean. They make up the first offshore wind farm in North America, called the Block Island Wind Farm. The turbines started delivering power to the New England grid on December 12.

The team began installing the turbines 30 miles off the coast of Rhode Island over the summer, and construction was completed in late August. The farm's four-month testing phase, which produced more than one gigawatt-hour of electricity, ended on December 2.

Check out how the wind farm was made.