US BOEM releases final EIS for SouthCoast Wind Project

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has issued its final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the 2.4 GW SouthCoast Wind Project, which, if approved, could power approximately 800,000 homes.  

The SouthCoast Wind proposal includes up to 147 turbines, five offshore substations, and eight export cables, with landfall options at Brayton Point or Falmouth, Massachusetts. The project’s lease area covers about 127,388 acres, located 26 nm south of Martha’s Vineyard.

Public input during a comment period from February to April 2023 shaped the final EIS, which received feedback from indigenous groups, government bodies, fishing industries, and other stakeholders. Under the current administration, BOEM has approved over 15 GW of clean energy from offshore wind and completed six lease auctions.

BOEM director Elizabeth Klein emphasized the role of community and stakeholder contributions in BOEM’s environmental review, marking this milestone as a significant step toward the US clean energy agenda.