Biden team OKs another wind project off Martha’s Vineyard
The New Bedford Light|Anastasia E. Lennon|Dec 20, 2024
In the 11th hour, the Biden administration approved its 11th offshore wind project, SouthCoast Wind, greenlighting the installation of up to 141 turbines south of Martha’s Vineyard. The project approval comes just ahead of the second Trump presidency, which, at worst, is expected to be hostile to offshore wind, and, at best, to slow progress and permitting that accelerated during the last four years.
In the 11th hour, the Biden administration approved its 11th offshore wind project, SouthCoast Wind, greenlighting the installation of up to 141 turbines south of Martha’s Vineyard. The project approval comes just ahead of the second Trump presidency, which, at worst, is expected to be hostile to offshore wind, and, at best, to slow progress and permitting that accelerated during the last four years.
In the 11th hour, the Biden administration approved its 11th offshore wind project, SouthCoast Wind, greenlighting the installation of up to 141 turbines south of Martha’s Vineyard.
The project approval comes just ahead of the second Trump presidency, which, at worst, is expected to be hostile to offshore wind, and, at best, to slow progress and permitting that accelerated during the last four years.
The record of decision issued Friday is a joint decision by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, NOAA Fisheries, and the Army Corps of Engineers.
SouthCoast Wind is awaiting one more major permitting approval — its construction and operations plan (COP) — but Friday’s decision includes a section on “anticipated” COP approval (with BOEM …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]In the 11th hour, the Biden administration approved its 11th offshore wind project, SouthCoast Wind, greenlighting the installation of up to 141 turbines south of Martha’s Vineyard.
The project approval comes just ahead of the second Trump presidency, which, at worst, is expected to be hostile to offshore wind, and, at best, to slow progress and permitting that accelerated during the last four years.
The record of decision issued Friday is a joint decision by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, NOAA Fisheries, and the Army Corps of Engineers.
SouthCoast Wind is awaiting one more major permitting approval — its construction and operations plan (COP) — but Friday’s decision includes a section on “anticipated” COP approval (with BOEM experts recommending it be approved). The federal government’s permitting dashboard lists March 2025 as the expected completion date for the COP review.
“[Record of decision] brings us a step closer to delivering abundant, domestic energy to New England’s homes and businesses,” said SouthCoast Wind CEO Michael Brown in a statement. “We are grateful to BOEM, and their many partners … and to the many communities and partners who have provided valuable input into building a renewable energy economy that benefits so many.”
Asked what can be expected to happen next, SouthCoast Wind provided a general statement to The Light that it anticipates the project “will continue to move forward as planned.” It is unclear when construction would start at the site, which sits southeast to Vineyard Wind.
Massachusetts is still negotiating contracts to purchase power for the project. The state bid for 1,000 megawatts out of the 1,200-megawatt project, with Rhode Island bidding for the remaining power.
“The approval of the SouthCoast Wind Project today demonstrates the strength of our collaborative process to deploy offshore wind,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein in a statement. “We look forward to the meaningful economic opportunities the SouthCoast Wind Project will bring to this region, both during construction and throughout the project’s lifetime.”
Keep The Light shining brightly. Unlock a bonus award of $4,500 from NewsMatch by becoming a first-time donor by Dec. 31. Give here.
SouthCoast Wind plans to use the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal to stage the major turbine components (as Vineyard Wind has been doing), and the New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal for long-term project operations and maintenance.
The project, if built to full capacity, could generate up to 2.4 gigawatts of energy for Massachusetts and Rhode Island, or enough to power more than 840,000 homes. The lease area covers approximately 127,388 acres of ocean, and is set to be developed in two stages.
Compared to SouthCoast’s original proposal, the selected project alternative removes up to six wind turbine positions in the northeastern portion of the lease to reduce potential impacts on the Nantucket Shoals, a critical foraging habitat for species, including the endangered North Atlantic right whale.
The Light was the first to report concerns by federal officials in 2022 about the impacts offshore wind development adjacent to the shoals could have on the right whale. As such, a federal scientist proposed a “conservation buffer” zone — or area of no wind turbines — of about 10 nautical miles adjacent to the shoals.
The Interior Department notes in its final decision, however, that moderate adverse impacts to the right whale are still expected.
As part of project approval, wind developers are required to adopt measures to minimize or mitigate impacts to marine resources during construction.
For commercial fishing, BOEM estimates the impacts will range from “minor to major adverse, depending on the fishery and fishing operation.” BOEM is requiring SouthCoast Wind to establish and implement a gear loss and fisheries compensation fund for affected fishermen.
In the fallout of the Vineyard Wind blade failure, Nantucket residents and town officials are pushing back against other wind projects, and they’ve recently set their sights on SouthCoast Wind. They argue the proposed agreements with the state do not sufficiently protect Nantucket’s historic resources or account for potential negative impacts from the project, which will lie about 10 miles south of Vineyard Wind.