Vineyard Wind has said it would be “very challenging” to progress its 800MW offshore wind farm in its current configuration, if the final environmental impact statement (EIS) is not issued within the next few weeks.
The developer communicated to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) that a final EIS would be needed in the next four to six weeks for the project, off the coast of Massachusetts, to continue in its current iteration.
According to Vineyard Wind, “BOEM has indicated they understand the reasons for this constraint and will communicate this to the Secretary of the Interior, who is responsible for final action on this project.”
Vineyard Wind has also communicated to the secretary directly about its concerns regarding the delay.
Vineyard Wind acknowledged that it is not unusual for there to be ongoing review of an EIS, especially for a project of this significance.
The developer stated: “The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires an EIS to consider all best available information, which we believe BOEM has done.
“We are therefore confident that any remaining reviews can be concluded and a final EIS released soon after.”
The developer said that stakeholders ranging from business organisations, small business owners, local construction unions, project area residents, and elected officials from all levels of government have reaffirmed their support for the project.
“This broad support has only increased our already high level of commitment, and confidence in the timely completion of this important energy project,” the developer said.
The Vineyard Wind project EIS provides a baseline for understanding the potential consequences of the project by identifying positive and negative impacts on the environment and discussing potential measures to mitigate impacts.
A BOEM spokesperson told reNEWS: “The environmental review of the Vineyard Wind project is ongoing.
“The next steps are for BOEM to publish the Final EIS followed by the Record of Decision. We don’t have a date for these publications at this time.
“Proposed offshore wind facilities are major infrastructure projects, and BOEM is still within the two year review window established under Executive Order 13807 to complete its reviews.”
Today Edgartown Conservation Commission will also publish in writing its reasons for refusing to permit transmission cables for Vineyard Wind.
The EIS is part of Vineyard Wind’s comprehensive public and regulatory review process that involves evaluation by more than 25 federal, state, and local regulatory bodies, including BOEM, the Army Corps of Engineers, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the Cape Cod Commission, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, and local conservation commissions.