Beacon Wind takes another step forward

Molly Morris, president of Equinor Renewables Americas, "We're fready to go to work"

Another U.S. offshore wind project is moving along the regulatory pathway. BOEM has announced a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Beacon Wind project. It’s set to publish in the Federal Register tomorrow.

The offshore wind project is being developed by Equinor and BP and is located more than 60 miles east of Montauk Point and 20 miles south of Nantucket and covers 128,000 acres. The lease was acquired in 2019 and has the potential to be developed with a total capacity of more than 2 GW. The first phase, Beacon Wind 1, will have an installed capacity of 1,230 MW.

“We are pleased that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has announced its Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Equinor and BP’s Beacon Wind project,” said Molly Morris, president, Equinor Renewables Americas. “The NOI marks a significant milestone in Beacon Wind’s path towards regulatory approval. It also initiates a public review period that provides an important opportunity to gather feedback as the project progresses. Beacon Wind 1 will generate enough renewable energy to power more than one million New York homes and will also be a significant driver of economic development in the region. Beacon Wind 2 has the potential to power over a million additional U.S. homes once contracted. We will continue to closely engage with federal officials, state regulators, and a wide range of interested stakeholders as we work together to advance one of the largest offshore wind projects in the U.S.”