The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is committed to a permitting process that “establishes a strong foundation for the offshore wind industry” in the US, according to acting director Walter Cruickshank.
He told the first IPF20 Livestream event on 11 June that the federal agency has had to adapt its approach during the assessment of the 800MW Vineyard Wind project, the first commercial offshore application on its books.
Cruickshank was talking in advance of BOEM formally releasing a supplemental environmental impact statement for the development today for a 45-day public comment period.
More on Cruickshank’s thoughts can be found in the reNEWS IPF20 Livestream daily newsletter available here.
The newsletter also includes news that the developer of the Vineyard Wind project – a joint venture of Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners – is hopeful of starting a delayed construction campaign with onshore works next year.
Vineyard Wind chief development officer Rachel Pachter said that the developer is “thrilled” the planning document has been published and expects a final decision on the project from BOEM in December.
Elsewhere in the daily, Siemens Gamesa offshore chief executive Andreas Nauen noted that the success of the US offshore wind industry depends on a stable policy regime that delivers a consistent string of projects.
There is also a discussion of the need for quiet methods to install foundations off the US east coast in order to avoid potential litigation from the impact on marine mammals, and ABB challenges the offshore wind industry to be “bold” and install subsea substations at projects.