Rhode Island resumes review of Ocean Winds’ giga-scale SouthCoast US offshore wind array
Ocean State to now take 200MW of the previously cancelled 1.2GW project to help meet its 2031 sector target
Rhode Island will move forward with its regulatory review of subsea transmission cables for Ocean Winds’ 1.2GW SouthCoast Wind array after a 14-month pause following latest procurement round in New England.
“The SouthCoast Wind project is vital to Rhode Island’s and Massachusetts’ goals of increasing grid reliability, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, prioritising the development of clean energy resources, and creating economic growth,” said Jennifer Flood, head of permitting for Ocean Winds North America.
The review process will be expedited from six months to four, “sending a signal that this project is important,” Ronald Gerwatowski, EFSB chair, was quoted as saying in local media.
The array is being developed in the federal Massachusetts/Rhode Island wind energy area 30 miles (48 km) south of Martha’s Vineyard and will need to run its export cable through Rhode Island state waters on its way to interconnection in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
The 149-turbine project is well underway in the federal permitting process, with full approval expected later this year.
It will still need a number of state and local approvals, however, including from the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council and several adjacent communities along the export cable’s route.
Fisheries associations remain opposed to its development and could disrupt local permitting.
“We continue to work toward the successful acquisition of all the necessary permits for our project and look forward to delivering clean energy to residents and businesses by 2030,” said Flood.
Rhode Island is targeting 1.2GW of offshore wind by 2031 to meet its emissions and clean energy targets. It will take 400MW of Orsted's 704MW Revolution project, with the remainder going to neighbour Connecticut and has begun contract negotiations with SouthCoast for 200MW.
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