The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has announced the availability of its draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed SouthCoast Wind (formerly Mayflower Wind) energy project offshore Massachusetts, USA.
SouthCoast Wind represents the seventh project that is currently in the draft EIS stage of review by BOEM. If approved, this proposed 2,400MW project could provide power for more than 800,000 homes.
SouthCoast Wind Energy submitted a construction and operation plan (COP) for its proposed wind energy facility and associated export cables on the Outer Continental Shelf offshore Massachusetts. The proposal includes up to 147 wind turbines and two export cable corridors. One corridor would be used by multiple export cables making landfall in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and the other corridor would be used by multiple export cables making landfall in Somerset, Massachusetts. The lease area covers approximately 127,388 acres and is approximately 26 nautical miles (nm) south of Martha’s Vineyard and 20 nm south of Nantucket.
BOEM will use the findings of the final EIS to inform its decision on whether to approve the SouthCoast Wind COP, and if so, which mitigation measures to require.
BOEM will use the findings of the final EIS to inform its decision on whether to approve the SouthCoast Wind COP, and if so, which mitigation measures to require.