The project’s lead federal permitting agency, the US Army Corps of Engineers (ACORE), has granted its approval of the Block Island Wind Farm from Deepwater Wind.
With ACORE’s permit, the Block Island Wind Farm has now been completely reviewed, and approved, by 11 state and federal agencies. The US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is reviewing Deepwater Wind’s application for a right-of-way in federal waters for the Block Island Transmission System, the transmission cable associated with the Block Island Wind Farm. Deepwater Wind anticipates receiving BOEM’s approval in the coming weeks. Deepwater Wind has begun the initial stages of construction on the 30MW Block Island Wind Farm, which will be located about three miles off the coast of Block Island, Rhode Island. Earlier this year, Deepwater Wind selected Alstom as its turbine supplier and long-term maintenance and service provider. Offshore construction is expected to begin next summer, with the wind farm in-service in 2016.