The Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management have approved the SouthCoast Wind Project, a 2.4 GW offshore wind development covering more than 125,000 acres about 26 nautical miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and 20 nm south of Nantucket, Mass.
The project, as approved, includes the construction of up to 141 wind turbines and up to five offshore substation platforms located at a maximum of 143 positions, and up to eight offshore export cables potentially making landfall in Brayton Point or Falmouth, Mass.
Compared to SouthCoast’s original proposed project, the selected alternative removes up to six wind turbine positions in the northeastern portion of the lease area to reduce potential impacts on foraging habitat and potential displacement of wildlife from this habitat adjacent to Nantucket Shoals.
In November, BOEM announced the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed project, which analyzed the potential environmental impacts of the activities outlined in the project’s construction and operations plan and considered reasonable alternatives. BOEM facilitated three virtual public meetings in March 2023 to collect important feedback on the SouthCoast Wind draft EIS from Tribal Nations, local community members, commercial fishing interests, and other ocean users. BOEM developed required measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate the project’s potential environmental impacts, based on the comprehensive review and feedback received during the environmental review process.
SouthCoast Wind is the nation’s 11th commercial-scale offshore wind energy project approved under President Joe Biden.
For more information on SouthCoast Wind, visit BOEM’s website.
