BOEM issues final EIS for SouthCoast Wind offshore project

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has released the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the up to 2.4-GW SouthCoast Wind project offshore Massachusetts.

Previously called Mayflower Wind, the scheme was launched by a joint venture of Ocean Winds North America and Shell New Energies US LLC. The latter offloaded its 50% stake in the development to its partner in March.

SouthCoast Wind envisages the installation of up to 147 wind turbines, up to five offshore substation platforms and eight export cable corridors, making landfall in Brayton Point or Falmouth, Massachusetts. The infrastructure will be installed within a lease area covering roughly 127,388 acres and located about 26 nautical miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and 20 nautical miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Once in operation, the offshore complex is expected to generate electricity for more than 800,000 homes annually.

BOEM noted that the EIS was issued following a 60-day public comment period during which it received 182 comments. “Tribal nations, federal and state agencies, local communities, ocean users, and key stakeholders have been instrumental in informing BOEM’s detailed environmental review of the proposed SouthCoast Wind Project,” said BOEM’s director Elizabeth Klein.

The final EIS will be published in the Federal Register on November 15, 2024.

In 2023, SouthCoast Wind struck an agreement with utilities in Massachusetts to terminate power off-take contracts associated with the supply of 1.2 GW from the wind farm. Following a fresh bid in this year’s offshore solicitation in Massachusetts, the developer secured 1.29 GW of the scheme’s capacity.

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