Vineyard Wind project is another step along in regulatory process

Written by Nick Blenkey

Geoquip Saentis docked in New Bedford, Mass. (Image: Vineland Wind)

The Vineyard Wind offshore wind project is moving ahead on two fronts. In Washington, D.C., the ponderous BOEM (Bureau of Offshore Energy Management) regulatory process has taken another step forward with the release of a supplementary draft environmental impact statement for the project. Meantime, in Massachusetts, Vineyard Wind has partnered with Geoquip Marine to begin geotechnical surveys of the 501 North Federal Lease Area, the eventual location of the 804 MW Vineyard Wind 1 wind farm. Meantime, in Washington, D.C., the ponderous BOEM (Bureau of Offshore Energy Management) regulatory process has taken another step forward with the release of a supplementary draft environmental impact statement for the project.

The geotechnical survey will see Geoquip Marine use two separate vessels to gather information on the ground conditions for prospective turbine and substation locations, providing necessary data to the project design.Work is expected to finish by September this year.

“Getting to this step would have been a milestone under normal circumstances,” said Lars Pedersen, CEO of Vineyard Wind, “but to do so now in light of the current pandemic makes reaching this point all the more significant and rewarding. We look forward to working with Geoquip as we begin to gather the data necessary to get the first largescale offshore wind project in the United States up and running.”

BOEM PROCESS MOVES ALONG

Meantime, BOEM today announced the availability of a supplement to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Supplement) prepared for the Construction and Operation Plan (COP) submitted by Vineyard Wind LLC

The supplement analyzes reasonably foreseeable effects from an expanded cumulative activities scenario for offshore wind development, previously unavailable fishing data, a new transit lane alternative, and changes to the COP since publication of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The notice of availability (NOA) marks the start of the public review and comment process, which includes a number of virtual public meetings.