The twin New England Wind 1 and 2 projects off Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Mass., won final federal approval July 1 of construction and operations plans. The latest in the Biden administration’s accelerating pace of approvals clears a path for for up to 129 turbines with a nameplate rating of 2,600 megawatts.
The project sites are approximately 20 nautical miles aouth of Martha’s Vineyard and 24 nm southwest of Nantucket. The projects will include includes up to five electric service platforms and five offshore export cables, making landfall to connect onshore transmission systems in Barnstable and Bristol County, Mass.
The approval of the COP closely follows a favorable record of decision issued by the Department of Interior in April 2024, as the Biden administration’s pushes to move wind projects forward.
Developer Avangrid Inc. is leading development of the Vineyard Wind off Massachusetts, an 806 MW project with 10 turbines now operating with a maximum rate output up to 136 MW.
“Completing the federal permitting program for New England Wind is a remarkable achievement made possible by diligence of our team, the engagement of our stakeholders, and the thorough and rigorous review from our federal partners,” said Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra in announcing the COP approval.
“Building offshore wind infrastructure is a complex and unique endeavor, and rightly held to a high regulatory standard. The approval of our COP reflects the depth of our expertise, our exhaustive and detailed planning, and our ability to deliver these critical projects,” said Azagra.
Avangrid has submitted proposals on the New England Wind projects to the Massachusetts-Rhode Island-Connecticut Multi-State Procurement for Offshore Wind, and the company says “the states are anticipated to announce selected projects from the competitive procurement in August 2024. New England Wind 1 is the only project in the solicitation that has all federal, state, and local permits; the ability to start construction in 2025; and deliver power by 2029.”
