The US Department of the Interior has approved Avangrid's 2.6GW New England Wind offshore wind farm, the country's eighth commercial-scale offshore wind energy project.
It will be located 20 nautical miles south of Martha's Vineyard and 24 nautical miles south-west of Nantucket, Massachusetts.
New England Wind will be built in two phases with 129 wind turbines and five offshore export cables, and will power 900,000 homes.
Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra stated: “The Record of Decision issued by the Biden Administration today represents a historic step toward the future of offshore wind in the United States.
“The Biden Administration, Secretary Haaland and BOEM [the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management] all deserve immense credit for their thorough and rigorous review of New England Wind, as well as [for] their decisive action to move the nation’s clean energy and climate goals forward.
“With this federal approval, New England Wind stands apart as the most advanced and shovel-ready offshore wind opportunity in the Northeast region. We are grateful to our many supporters and stakeholders who participated in the federal permitting process, and look forward to continued engagement as we work to bring thousands of well-paying jobs and clean, reliable power to New England.”
The New England Wind project is part of a broader effort by the US Government to increase offshore wind capacity.
The administration has approved projects totalling 10GW to power four million homes.
BOEM director Elizabeth Klein stated: “With the approval of the New England Wind project, we have now approved 10GW of offshore wind projects in under three years.
“BOEM is proud of our open communication and frequent collaboration with federal partners, Tribal Nations, states, industry and ocean users to shape project reviews and avoid or minimise conflict with existing users and marine life.”
In February 2024, BOEM released the final environmental impact statement for the New England Wind project.
During the subsequent 60-day public comment period, BOEM held three virtual public meetings to gather input from stakeholders including tribal nations, the public and commercial fishing interests.
The formal announcement of the Notice of Availability of a Joint Record of Decision for the New England Wind Project and the New England Wind Offshore Export Cable Project will be published in the Federal Register.
