U.S. to Begin Environmental Review of ‘Vineyard Wind South’ Offshore Wind Project

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will begin an environmental review of a Construction and Operations Plan (COP) submitted by Vineyard Wind, LLC for its Vineyard Wind South offshore wind project. The agency now seeks public comment on the project.

If approved, Vineyard Wind would be allowed to construct and operate an approximately 2,000 -2,300MW wind energy facility offshore Rhode Island and Massachusetts, which would be developed in phases. Phase One of the project, called “Park City Wind,” would contribute 804 megawatts of renewable power to Connecticut’s power grid, providing roughly 14% of the state’s electricity supply, according to the project’s developer.

The proposed Vineyard Wind South project, planned for about 20 miles offshore the southwestern corner of Martha’s Vineyard and 24 miles offshore Nantucket, includes up to 130 wind turbine generators, two to five offshore substations, inter-array cables, and up to five export cables connecting to the onshore electric grid in Barnstable County, Massachusetts at up to three onshore substations. All will be out-of-view from shore.

The publication of the Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) opens a 30-day public comment period. During this time, BOEM will hold three virtual public scoping meetings and accept comments to inform the preparation of the EIS.

In May, Vineyard Wind’s “Vineyard Wind 1” project became the first in the nation to receive federal approval for construction and operation.

“The Biden-Harris administration has set an ambitious target of 30 gigawatts of installed offshore wind energy by 2030, which will create nearly 80,000 jobs,” said BOEM Director Amanda Lefton. “By moving forward on this environmental review, we are making progress toward confronting climate change, creating good-paying jobs, and beginning the Nation’s transition to a cleaner energy future.”

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