The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has announced the availability of its draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed SouthCoast Wind energy project offshore Massachusetts.
Up until a name change on February 1, 2023, the project was called Mayflower Wind. It is backed by Shell New Energies and Ocean Winds North America (a joint venture between EDP Renewables and ENGIE).
SouthCoast Wind’s construction and operation plan (COP) for the proposed wind energy facility and associated export cables on the Outer Continental Shelf offshore Massachusetts includes up to 147 wind turbines and two export cable corridors. One corridor would be used by multiple export cables making landfall in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and the other corridor would be used by multiple export cables making landfall in Somerset, Massachusetts. The lease area covers approximately 127,388 acres and is approximately 26 nautical miles (nm) south of Martha’s Vineyard and 20 nm south of Nantucket.
The SouthCoast Wind project is the seventh that is currently in the draft EIS stage of review by BOEM. If approved, this proposed 2,400-megawatt project could provide power for more than 800,000 homes.
“BOEM continues to make significant progress toward achieving this administration’s vision for a clean energy future – one that will combat climate change, create jobs to support families, and ensure economic opportunities are accessible to all communities,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “In our review of offshore wind projects, we are committed to working collaboratively with our tribal, state, and local government partners as well as using the best available science to avoid or minimize conflict with existing users and marine life.”
The SouthCoast Wind draft EIS can be found on BOEM’s website, and the notice of availability will publish in the Federal Register on Feb. 17, 2023, which will open a 45-day public comment period that ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Apr. 3, 2023. The input received during the comment period will inform preparation of the final EIS.
