The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has completed its environmental analysis of the proposed Revolution Wind Farm Project off the coast of Rhode Island, which BOEM estimates could power more than 300,000 homes.
Revolution Wind LLC proposes to construct an offshore wind energy project of up to 100 wind turbines, capable of generating up to 880 MW, located approximately 15 nautical miles southeast of Point Judith, R.I.
If approved, the project would be the fourth commercial-scale offshore wind farm located on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf approved by the Biden-Harris administration.
On Sept. 2, 2022, BOEM published a draft EIS, initiating a 45-day public comment period, which closed on Oct. 17, 2022. It also held three in-person and two virtual public meetings to solicit additional feedback on the draft. BOEM received a total of 124 comments from Federal, tribal, state and local government agencies; non-governmental organizations; and the public during the comment period.
BOEM considered these comments and stakeholders’ feedback when developing the final EIS, a critical step to ensure the project can move forward while balancing the needs and interests of those who may be affected by the development. In response to comments received, BOEM developed a preferred alternative that includes fewer turbines to reduce impacts to visual resources and benthic habitat and allows for ocean co-use.
The Notice of Availability for the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Revolution Wind LLC’s proposed project will publish in the Federal Register on July 21. The final EIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the activities laid out in Revolution Wind LLC’s Construction and Operations Plan. The Final EIS is available on BOEM’s website.
BOEM plans to issue a Record of Decision on whether to approve, approve with modification, or disapprove the project this summer.
Photo by Cloris Ying on Unsplash.
