The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Vitality Administration (BOEM) has accomplished its designation of an offshore wind power space within the Gulf of Maine. The BOEM, in a discover printed within the Federal Register on March 18, mentioned two million acres has been earmarked for growth in that area.
The BOEM in its announcement mentioned the company would put together an environmental affect assertion (EIS) for the world. The area covers 2 million acres, and is situated 23 miles to 92 miles off the coasts of Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
BOEM additionally Monday printed a discover of intent to organize an EIS associated to a building and operations plan submitted by Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, particularly for the Atlantic Shores North undertaking. That set up can be sited in an space of greater than 81,000 acres, about 60 miles off the coast of New York and simply greater than 8 miles off the New Jersey coast.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, in the meantime, on March 14 introduced that the South Fork Wind offshore undertaking is now delivering electrical energy to the facility grid on Lengthy Island, a part of New York’s technique to have 9 GW of offshore wind era capability deployed by 2035.
“After I broke floor on the South Fork undertaking, I made a promise to construct a cleaner, greener future for all New Yorkers,” Hochul mentioned. “I’m maintaining to that promise and South Fork Wind is now delivering clear power to tens of hundreds of properties and companies on Lengthy Island.”
Gulf of Maine Improvement
The BOEM in a press release issued March 15, previous to Monday’s official announcement within the Federal Register, mentioned the Gulf of Maine space, which offshore wind advocates have recognized as a area important for U.S. renewable power growth, “avoids vital areas for lobster fishing, North Atlantic proper whale habitat, and different vital fishing areas and habitats.”
The BOEM mentioned the area may doubtlessly assist as much as 32 GW of wind power era. The company mentioned that complete would exceed “present state objectives for offshore wind power within the Gulf of Maine,” and will present “10 GW for Massachusetts and three GW for Maine.”
Maine Gov. Janet Mills, together with the state’s U.S. senators Angus King and Susan Collins, had been amongst lawmakers who expressed assist for the state’s offshore wind growth. The group issued a joint assertion that mentioned the world “preserves important fishing grounds and seeks to attenuate potential environmental and ecological impacts to the Gulf of Maine.”
The state issued an offshore wind roadmap final yr, noting the state’s aim of receiving 80% of its energy from renewable power by 2030, and 100% by 2040. The BOEM on Monday mentioned it will search public remark by means of April 17 about “vital environmental points” and the “identification of affordable alternate options” to be thought of by the environmental evaluation of the Gulf of Maine area.
Atlantic Shores
The Atlantic Shores group in its plan mentioned it will set up as many as 157 wind generators, together with eight offshore substations, one everlasting meteorological tower, and two momentary metocean buoys for its undertaking. The proposal additionally calls for 2 potential export cable corridors making landfall at Sea Girt, New Jersey, and in both the New York Metropolis space or close to Asbury Park, New Jersey.
The BOEM printed its EIS for Atlantic Shores South final yr. Atlantic Shores is a 50/50 three way partnership between EDF-RE Offshore Improvement, a completely owned subsidiary of EDF Renewables, and Shell New Energies US. Complete era capability of the 2 Atlantic Shores initiatives is pegged at about 2.8 GW; they could possibly be in service no later than 2028.
“BOEM is continuous to implement the Biden-Harris administration’s clear power agenda, whereas sustaining a cautious strategy to forestall, scale back, and tackle any opposed results on ocean customers and the marine ecosystem,” mentioned BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein in a press release Monday. “As an integral a part of our environmental assessments, we’ll proceed to actively solicit suggestions from Tribes; federal, state, and native authorities companions; the fishing neighborhood; and the general public to assist information our actions.”
The BOEM, as a part of its EIS discover, mentioned it will search public remark by means of Might 2 concerning the Atlantic Shores North undertaking.
South Fork Wind Comes On-line
Ørsted and Eversource’s 130-MW South Fork Wind undertaking options 12 generators. Development started early in 2022. Hochul on Thursday mentioned the set up is delivering energy to the grid though commissioning continues to be ongoing.
U.S. Inside Secretary Deb Haaland joined Hochul at a ceremony Thursday to mark the milestone. “Day-after-day, the Inside Division is answering President Biden’s name and shifting quickly to create a strong and sustainable clear power economic system that creates jobs, boosts native economies and helps tackle environmental justice. We’re thrilled to rejoice the completion of the South Fork undertaking, which is able to ship 130 MW of wind power to Lengthy Island … Right now is additional proof that America’s clear power transition shouldn’t be a dream for a distant future—it’s occurring proper right here and now.”
“Completion of the primary utility-scale offshore wind farm in america is a crucial nationwide milestone, a major step in direction of attaining New York State’s formidable local weather objectives, and important for delivering clear power on to New Yorkers,” mentioned Jessica Ottney Mahar, coverage and technique director at The Nature Conservancy in New York, in a press release.
Anne Reynolds, American Clear Energy Vice President for Offshore Wind, in a press release emailed to POWER mentioned, “Bringing clear, emissions-free offshore wind power to Lengthy Island has been a very long time coming … On the American Clear Energy Affiliation, we rejoice this new clear electrical energy supply for New York State and know it is going to be the primary of many for the nation. ”
New York has set a aim of deploying 9 GW of offshore wind by 2035.
“With extra initiatives within the pipeline, that is just the start of New York’s offshore wind future and I stay up for continued partnership with the Biden administration and native leaders to construct a clear and resilient power grid,” mentioned Hochul, noting initiatives a lot bigger than South Fork Wind are in growth. The New York State Vitality Analysis and Improvement Authority, often called NYSERDA, in February chosen the 810-MW Empire Wind 1 and 924-MW Dawn Wind initiatives as a part of the state’s fourth offshore wind solicitation.
—Darrell Proctor is a senior affiliate editor for POWER (@POWERmagazine).
