SouthCoast Wind on track for final approval

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has announced the availability of the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed SouthCoast Wind project. The lease area covers approximately 127,388 acres and is about 26 nautical miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and 20 nautical miles south of Nantucket, Mass. If approved, the project could generate up to 2.4 GW of offshore wind energy.

The SouthCoast Wind Energy LLC proposal includes up to 147 wind turbine generators, up to five offshore substation platforms located at a maximum of 149 positions, and up to eight offshore export cables potentially making landfall in Brayton Point or Falmouth, Mass. The lease area covers approximately 127,388 acres and is about 26 nautical miles (nm) south of Martha’s Vineyard and 20 nautical miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts.

The “Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement for SouthCoast Wind Energy LLC’s Proposed SouthCoast Wind Energy Project Offshore Massachusetts and Rhode Island” will publish in the Federal Register on November 15, 2024.

SouthCoast Wind is the flagship U.S. project of the Ocean Wind joint venture between Madrid-headquartered EDP Renewables (EDPR) and French multinational electric utility Engie joint venture Ocean Winds.

According to the Oceantic Network, once approved and constructed, the project will generate enough electricity to power over 800,000 homes in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The project secured offtake agreements with both states in September, and is contracted to deliver 1,087 MW to Massachusetts and 200 MW to Rhode Island. The project was first leased in late 2018.

The FEIS covers an area of 127,388 acres and allows for the installation of 147 wind turbines, five offshore substations, and eight offshore export cables. In its construction, the project will use American purpose-built vessels, supply chain companies, and deep-water ports that have undergone redevelopment to support the U.S. offshore wind industry, including New Bedford and Salem, Massachusetts and ProvPort in Rhode Island.

FURTHER MOMENTUM

“The completed environmental review for SouthCoast Wind represents further momentum for the offshore wind industry and a substantial step towards delivering reliable energy for Massachusetts and Rhode Island,” said Oceantic Network CEO Liz Burdock. “With its final approval later this year, the U.S. market will have eleven commercial-scale projects either completed, under development, or ready to break ground, representing more American jobs and tens of billions of dollars in economic activity. This massive project, first leased during the first Trump administration, will create thousands of jobs and drive hundreds of millions into the national economy through investments in manufacturing and New England port facilities. We applaud BOEM’s consistent and thorough regulatory process, which is attracting new investments in our 39-state supply chain and is enabling significant economic progress across our nation. Oceantic congratulates developer member Ocean Winds and looks forwards to SouthCoast Wind’s timely construction.”

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