The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has announced a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) of Vineyard Wind’s proposed 800MW wind farm offshore Massachusetts.
The publication of the NOI opens a 30-day public comment period that will extend through 30 April, during which BOEM will hold five public scoping meetings in New Bedford, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and Hyannis in Massachusetts, as well as in Kingston, Rhode Island.
The input received via this process will be used to inform the preparation of the EIS, BOEM said.
According to BOEM, the scoping process is intended to identify any important issues and potential alternatives for consideration in the Vineyard Wind COP EIS.
Throughout the scoping process, the agency said there will be multiple opportunities to help determine significant resources and issues, impact-producing factors, reasonable alternatives, and potential mitigating measures to be analyzed in the EIS.
“The offshore wind industry continues to advance at a rapid rate, and the Administration’s commitment to energy security as well as strong state leadership will ensure its success,” said BOEM Acting Director Walter Cruickshank .
“BOEM will work with industry, government partners, and other key stakeholders to make sure that any development is done in an environmentally safe and responsible manner. Public input plays an essential role for identifying and mitigating any potential impacts from proposed development activities.”
Earlier this year, BOEM published draft guidelines for the use of Design Envelopes in COPs for offshore wind farms in the US. Vineyard Wind is the first to utilize this new approach, BOEM said, adding that this is the first COP received this year.
Vineyard Wind proposes to build a 800MW wind farm some 14 miles off Martha’s Vineyard, potentially in two 400MW phases , five years apart.
The wind farm will comprise up to 106 wind turbines , each with a capacity between 8MW and 10MW, and either two or four offshore substations or electrical service platforms. Potential export cable landfalls include the towns of Yarmouth, Barnstable, and Nantucket, the company said.
The New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal facility will be used for onshore construction and staging.