BOEM starts environmental review of 2-GW Mayflower Wind project

The US Department of the Interior is starting the environmental review of Mayflower Wind’s offshore wind project off the shores Massachusetts, which could deliver over 2 GW of generation capacity.

The environmental review process is expected to take about two years. It starts with the publication on November 1 of a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). The notice opens a 30-day public comment period designed to help BOEM determine the scope of the issues that should be analysed in the EIS. BOEM will decide whether to approve the project at the end of the environmental review process.

Mayflower Wind is a joint venture (JV) between Shell New Energies US LLC and Ocean Winds, which in turn is a JV created by EDP Renovaveis SA (ELI:EDPR) and Engie SA (EPA:ENGI). It has submitted a plan to construct and operate up to 147 wind turbines and up to five offshore power substations some 30 miles (48 km) south of Martha’s Vineyard and 23 miles south of Nantucket. The developer has a contract to provide 804 MW of wind power to Massachusetts’ three major utilities and is also competing in the state’s ongoing offshore wind solicitation.

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