Another offshore wind project off the coast of the Vineyard is a step closer to coming to fruition.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced in a Monday press release it has completed an environmental review of the proposed New England Wind project, formerly known as Vineyard Wind South.
The agency will issue a record of decision on whether the project is approved no earlier than April, according to the release.
New England Wind is an offshore wind project proposed to be located 20 nautical miles from the southwestern corner of Martha’s Vineyard and about 24 nautical miles from Nantucket. The project is expected to generate 2,600 megawatts of power, which the release states would be enough to power over 900,000 homes.
Developers Park City Wind, LLC, submitted a two-phased project plan for New England Wind that includes up to 129 wind turbine generators and up to five offshore export cables that would transmit electricity to onshore transmission systems in the town of Barnstable and Bristol County.
Park City Wind is also a subsidiary of Avangrid, the company which partly owns the nearby Vineyard Wind project.
BOEM published a draft environmental impact statement in 2022 and initiated a public comment period that closed last February. The agency also held three virtual public meetings to solicit feedback from tribal nations, local communities, commercial fishing interests, and other stakeholders. During the process, BOEM received 776 comments, which were used to develop a final environmental impact statement.
“Diverse public input was essential to BOEM’s careful and thorough analysis of the environmental impact of the proposed New England Wind project,” BOEM director Elizabeth Klein said in Monday’s release.
New England Wind’s 598-page final environmental impact statement — along with its 1,342-page appendices — analyze the potential environmental impacts during the construction and operation of New England Wind, while also considering a number of alternative measures.
A notice of availability, which also tells how long the comment period is for the statement, will be available on March 1.
i find it interesting that this project is completing its
environmental reviews and is in the final stages of
approval. But there are some here that insist that
all wind projects are doomed to failure
and have no possibility of approval or financial success .
What’s up with that ? yeah– I’m trolling you idiots–
How about a real debate? Not something from your side
like ” you clueless” how about a real debate ?
Show me the problem—
Don, you must have seen the wind maps for the Long Island Sound. How about for other areas of the world. Where else in the US (or other countries for that matter) can we (citizens of the planet earth) put more windmills?
We can cover the whole earth with windmills!
The whales can find someplace else to feed and frolic and reproduce.
Katherine– It’s not likely that we will cover the
whole earth with windmills. But, we have managed
to essentially wrap the whole earth in a heat trapping
carbon blanket. 50 % more carbon in the atmosphere
than pre industrial revolution, and 20 % more than
44 years ago for instance. Does anyone still think
that will not increase the temperature of the ocean ?
Does anyone think that excessive carbon in the atmosphere
will not alter the acidity of the ocean ?
Does anyone think that a rising oceanic temperatures
and increasing acidity
will not have any effect on marine life ?
I think the whales have a better chance of feeding,
frolicking and reproducing in an ocean
they are adapted to, rather than an anthropomorphically
created hot tub.
Katherine, yes, every house should have a small windmill or two. Every roof should be covered in solar panels (do you have solar panels? Maybe you’re already enjoying the low cost of electricity from the sun). However, for windmills to be commercially viable they need strong wind, and maybe more importantly, sustained wind. We are so lucky 🍀 to have a commercially viable spot in the planet.
I’ll take the bait. Just google offshore wind turbine profitability and you’ll find dozens of articles from all over the world outlining the financial demise of this industry. Here’s just one to get you started. https://about.bnef.com/blog/soaring-costs-stress-us-offshore-wind-companies-ruin-margins/
John,
You might find that your own renewable energy projects for your home would save you a lot of money. You scoffed at the idea of adding a backup generator to a comprehensive home project, but I assure you that if you buy your own panels and other hardware off eBay and/or Lowe’s, you will be pleasantly surprised at how quickly it pays for itself. Add an electric car to the mix and you’re going to skip all the way to the bank with your savings. Don’t rent your roof to a solar company, buy your own stuff. And if you choose to add a moderate-sized windmill on your property, you will be delighted at how you get free electricity when it’s windy and cloudy. Anyway, a backup generator is just that: Backup. No more worrying about whether the electricity goes out for others, you will be living off the grid and feeling quite smug that you have electricity when others don’t. And the financial viability of big projects? Who cares? It won’t be you because you will have your own sweet source of electricity.
By the way, who do you think doesn’t want you to buy your own solar or wind electric system? That’s right! The big oil companies! The ones who are so afraid of YOU buying your own system is scrambling to build huge renewable energy projects so they don’t lose control of the grid. Let’s leave the grid!
John– I read the right wing propaganda. There were
dozens of articles about Obama being a Muslim and he
was going to impose Sharia law. Many towns passed
laws forbidding it. He was going to take our guns also.
When Biden WON the election in 2020 , they denied
it, lied about it, slandered people, lost more than
60 court cases, and 30% of the population still
thinks the election was rigged. Biden would crash the
economy in a month. Never mind the facts.
Biden was going to take our guns, our cars, and we
would only be able to have one hamburger
a month. And real soon, they are going to take our guns
our gas stoves, our ceiling fans, our A/C’s and many other things,
including our guns.
They are also going to rewrite history and allow
( or MAKE) schools put out kitty litter boxes out for kids
who identify as cats. They are also going to hire
hundreds of IRS agents to take money off of
the white middle class, and destroy the suburbs.
So sad- the suburbs are gone.— And don’t forget about
their efforts to abolish christmas and thanksgiving.
And take our guns.
Yes, John– I have read it all— hundreds of
articles with “absolute proof” that will all be revealed
by the pillow guy and “Q” soon.
Yes– those silly windmills will be rotting away soon.
One of our own great oracles here said it years ago–
Vineyard wind will never produce power.
It’s all an illusion… I read it on the internet.
it must be true.
Don, when I visited Dachau, there were examples of propaganda printed in pamphlets or in newspapers that said how happy the people were to live in concentration camps. There were pictures of people in striped pajamas, holding rakes in gardens, standing next to razor wire with big smiles on their faces. The propaganda that is being foisted on us today is almost as horrifying as that.
John, check out the city of Neom, touted to be zero carbon. It’s under construction and funded by a country that is primarily supported by the oil industry. Any idea why a country funded by oil has the largest renewable energy project on the planet?
More good news! 😁
Lots of $120,000 a year jobs.
How many Islander’s have the skill set?
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