The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced its approval of the Construction and Operations Plan for the SouthCoast Wind Project.
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This is the final approval needed for the project from BOEM following the Department of the Interior’s December 2024 Record of Decision.
Located about 26 nautical miles (nm) south of Martha’s Vineyard and 20 nm south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, the SouthCoast Wind Project will be able to generate up to 2.4 gigawatts of offshore wind energy for Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
The approved project includes the construction of up to 141 wind turbine generators and up to five offshore substation platforms located at a maximum of 143 positions, and up to eight offshore export cables located in up to two corridors, potentially making landfall in Brayton Point or Falmouth, Massachusetts.
Compared to SouthCoast’s original proposed project, the selected alternative removes six wind turbine positions in the northeastern portion of the Lease Area to reduce potential impacts on foraging habitat and potential displacement of wildlife.
BOEM considered feedback from Tribal Nations, government agencies, ocean users, and other interested parties before reaching this decision.
The feedback resulted in required measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate any potential impacts from the project on marine life and other important ocean uses, such as fishing.
The Department has worked to meet the moment to grow a clean energy economy that is strengthening the nation’s power grid and creating good-paying jobs across construction, manufacturing, shipbuilding, and more.
In addition to the approval of the nation's first 11 commercial-scale offshore wind projects, BOEM has held six offshore commercial wind lease auctions since 2022 – including a record-breaking sale in the New York Bight and the first-ever sales offshore the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Gulf of Maine coasts.
The Department has also taken steps to grow a sustainable offshore wind industry by encouraging the use of project labor agreements, strengthening workforce training, bolstering a domestic supply chain, and through enhanced engagement with Tribes, fisheries, underserved communities, and ocean users. ■