US Gives Green Light to Eleventh Offshore Wind Project

December 23, 2024, by Adnan Memija

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has approved the SouthCoast Wind Project, which could generate up to 2.4 GW of offshore wind energy for Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

With the approval, the Department of Interior (DOI) and BOEM have approved over 19 GW of clean energy from offshore wind projects, enough to power more than six million homes.

“When we walked in the door of this Administration, there were zero approved, commercial-scale offshore wind projects in federal waters. Today, I am proud to celebrate our 11th approval, a testament to the commitment and enduring progress made by the hardworking public servants at the Department of the Interior,” said Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Interior.

The SouthCoast Wind Project is expected to generate up to 2.4 GW of offshore wind energy for the two states, enough to power more than 840,000 homes.

The project area covers approximately 127,388 acres, about 25 nautical miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and 20 nautical miles off Nantucket, Massachusetts.

The wind farm, as approved, comprises the construction of up to 141 wind turbines, up to five offshore substations located at a maximum of 143 positions, and up to eight offshore export cables potentially making landfall in Brayton Point or Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Compared to SouthCoast’s original proposed project, the selected alternative removes up to six wind turbine positions in the northeastern portion of the lease area to reduce potential impacts on foraging habitat and potential displacement of wildlife from this habitat adjacent to Nantucket Shoals, said BOEM.

In November, BOEM announced the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed project, which analyzed the potential environmental impacts of the activities outlined in the project’s construction and operations plan and considered reasonable alternatives.

BOEM Grants Environmental Approval to SouthCoast Wind Project

Fixed-Bottom

SouthCoast Wind, established by Shell New Energies US LLC and Ocean Winds North America, secured a lease area in a December 2018 auction. In March 2024, Shell sold its 50 per cent share in the project to Ocean Winds.

In September, SouthCoast Wind was granted power purchase agreements with Massachusetts and Rhode Island for a combined total of 1,287 MW.