BOEM Completes Environmental Review of Proposed South Fork Wind Farm

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has completed its environmental review of the proposed South Fork Wind project offshore New York and Rhode Island, which could create up to 1,700 jobs. If approved, it would be the second commercial-scale offshore wind project in the United States.

The project, proposed for approximately 19 miles southeast of Block Island, Rhode Island, and 35 miles east of Montauk Point, New York, will deliver approximately 130 megawatts (MW) of power to the South Fork of Long Island, New York.

Later this week, BOEM will publish a Notice of Availability for the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in the Federal Register. The EIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the activities laid out in South Fork Wind, LLC’s Construction and Operations Plan.

The environmental review comes after BOEM published a Draft EIS for the South Fork project in January, kicking off 45-day comment period during which BOEM received 1,300 public comments. BOEM also held three virtual public meetings to solicit additional feedback on the Draft EIS from community members, Tribal nations, commercial fishing interests, and other ocean users.

BOEM plans to issue a record of decision on whether to approve the proposed project in October.

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