US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo have announced approval of the construction and operation of the Vineyard Wind project, the first large-scale offshore wind project in the US
The 800-MW Vineyard Wind energy project will contribute to the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of generating 30 GW of energy from offshore wind by 2030.
The project will be located approximately 12 nautical miles offshore Martha’s Vineyard and 12 nautical miles offshore Nantucket in the northern portion of Vineyard Wind’s lease area. It will create 3,600 jobs and provide enough power for 400,000 homes and businesses.
Secretary Haaland said, “A clean energy future is within our grasp in the US. Approval of this project is an important step toward advancing the administration’s goals to create good-paying union jobs while combating climate change and powering our nation. Today is one of many actions we are determined to take to open the doors of economic opportunity to more Americans.”
Secretary Raimondo said, “Today’s offshore wind project announcement demonstrates that we can fight the climate crisis, while creating high-paying jobs and strengthening our competitiveness at home and abroad.
“This project is an example of the investments we need to achieve the Biden-Harris administration’s ambitious climate goals. I’m proud to be part of the team leading the charge on offshore wind.”
Vineyard Wind chief executive Lars Pedersen said, “Today’s Record of Decision (ROD) is not about the start of a single project, but the launch of a new industry.
“Receiving this final major federal approval means the jobs, economic benefits and clean energy revolution associated with the Vineyard Wind 1 project can finally come to fruition. It has been a long road to get to this point, but ultimately, we are reaching the end of this process with the strongest possible project. I want to thank the Biden administration, Secretaries Haaland and Raimondo and BOEM for their efforts in finalising the review of this project. I also want to thank Governor Baker, the Massachusetts federal delegation and state legislature for their steadfast commitment to seeing this endeavour through.”
The project will use GE Renewable Energy’s Haliade-X turbine, which has a capacity of 13 MW. Using a larger turbine than originally planned has allowed the project to reduce the number of turbines from 108 to 62 while still delivering a total capacity of 800 MW.
The ROD for the project grants Vineyard Wind final federal approval to install 84 or fewer turbines off Massachusetts. The turbines will be installed in an east-west orientation, and all the turbines will have a minimum spacing of one nautical mile between them in the north-south and east-west directions, consistent with the US Coast Guard recommendations in the Final Massachusetts and Rhode Island Port Access Route Study.
The ROD adopts mitigation measures to help avoid, minimise, reduce, or eliminate adverse environmental effects that could result from the construction and operation of the proposed project. These mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements were developed through input, consultation, and co-ordination with stakeholders, Tribes, and federal and state agencies.
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) director Amanda Lefton said, “This project represents the power of a government-wide approach to offshore wind permitting, taking stakeholder ideas and concerns into consideration every step of the way.
“We will continue to advance new projects that will incorporate lessons learned from analysing this project to ensure an efficient and predictable process for industry and stakeholders.”
The ROD is jointly signed by and addresses permitting decisions by BOEM, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Marine Fisheries Service within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Prior to construction, Vineyard Wind must submit a facility design report and a fabrication and installation report. These engineering and technical reports provide specific details for how the facility will be fabricated and installed in accordance with the approved construction and operations plan.
