The Biden-Harris administration has announced the approval of the SouthCoast Wind Project, marking the eleventh commercial-scale offshore wind energy project approved under President Biden's leadership. This decision by the Department of the Interior and its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) brings the total approved clean energy from offshore wind projects to over 19 gigawatts, which is enough to power more than six million homes.
"When we walked in the door of this Administration, there were zero approved, commercial-scale offshore wind projects in federal waters. Today, I am proud to celebrate our 11th approval, a testament to the commitment and enduring progress made by the hardworking public servants at the Department of the Interior," stated Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. She emphasized that under President Biden’s leadership through the Investing in America agenda, efforts are being made to address climate change while creating jobs and building a sustainable economy.
BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein highlighted that "the approval of the SouthCoast Wind Project today demonstrates the strength of our collaborative process to deploy offshore wind." She noted that their environmental reviews incorporate scientific research and insights from various stakeholders including Tribal Nations and environmental groups. Klein expressed optimism about "the meaningful economic opportunities" that will arise from this project during both construction and operation phases.
The SouthCoast Wind Project is set to generate up to 2.4 gigawatts of offshore wind energy for Massachusetts and Rhode Island, sufficient to power over 840,000 homes. The project area spans approximately 127,388 acres located about 26 nautical miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and 20 nautical miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts.
As per BOEM's final Environmental Impact Statement released on November 8, 2024, measures have been developed to mitigate potential environmental impacts based on comprehensive reviews and feedback collected during public meetings held in March 2023. The project's construction plan includes up to 141 wind turbine generators with several modifications made to minimize environmental disruption.
A formal notice regarding this decision will soon be published in the Federal Register. More details can be found on BOEM’s website.
