Vineyard Wind submit DEIR

Today’s filing advances the company’s proposal to construct an 800MW wind farm 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. Vineyard Wind is scheduled to begin construction in 2019 and become operational by 2021. When it is completed, it will reduce Massachusetts’ carbon emissions by over 1.6 million tons per year.

Vineyard Wind is one of three projects competing for long-term contracts with Massachusetts’ electric distribution companies (EDCs) and the only one to begin both the state permitting process, by filing an Environmental Notification Form (ENF), as well as the federal permitting process by filing a Construction and Operations plan in December 2017.

“Vineyard Wind’s early timeline is on schedule to maximize the abundant environmental, economic and energy benefits associated with utility-scale wind energy for Bay State residents and businesses,” said Erich Stephens, Chief Development Officer of Vineyard Wind. “The Draft Environmental Impact Report is an essential part of the permitting process and extensive environmental review that is currently underway. The process will ensure that Vineyard Wind provides substantial quantities of clean energy resources to Massachusetts while protecting the Commonwealth’s natural resources and being responsive to stakeholder input.”

Vineyard Wind will continue to refine the project design and approach as it receives additional comments from regulators and stakeholders. Vineyard Wind received a large number of observations from the fishing industry, residents on Cape Cod and the Islands, environmental organizations, as well as regional economic and community-based stakeholders, during the initial ENF comment period.

Vineyard Wind has held over 100 meetings with fishermen or fishing organizations since 2016. Input from those meetings is reflected within the project design as part of a broad-based effort to ensure that offshore wind facilities and the fishing sector thrive together in the decades ahead.

The results of the Massachusetts 83C Request for Proposals (RFP) to develop an offshore wind farm up to 800MW are due to be announced on the 23rd May.

For more information please follow the links provided. Alternatively, click here to view the project on 4C Offshore's interactive map.