US greenlights rebooted Iberdrola offshore wind giant ahead of multi-state tender
Biden administration's COP go-ahead puts Avangrid's New England Wind in pole position for contest
US federal regulators approved Iberdrola-owned Avangrid’s 2.6GW New England Wind’s construction and operations plan (COP), the final go-ahead for capacity seeking revival in the ongoing New England multistate tender after being cancelled in 2023.
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced its approval Monday for construction and operation of two offshore wind energy facilities, known as New England Wind 1 & 2, enough to power more than 900,000 homes.
BOEM director Elizabeth Klein said: “We are proud to announce BOEM’s final approval of the New England Wind projects. They represent a major milestone in our efforts to expand clean energy production and combat climate change.”
BOEM oversees the multi-agency federal permitting process for offshore wind, which includes consulting and approvals by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the Environmental Protection Agency, the US military and Coast Guard, and others.
“By securing all federal, state, regional, and local permits, New England Wind 1 has the potential to put shovels in the ground next year and deliver thousands of jobs, local investment, and needed clean energy before the end of the decade,” said Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra.
Tri-state procurement
Previously, Avangrid had developed its lease area 23 miles (37 km) south of Martha’s Vineyard as the 1.2GW Commonwealth Wind for Massachusetts and 804MW Park City for Connecticut.
Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island individually and jointly solicited a combined 6.8GW of capacity, much of it to replace projects cancelled last year due to inflationary headwinds.
Avangrid’s proposals represent two projects – the 791MW New England Wind 1 and 1.08GW New England Wind 2.
This milestone approval “furthers the renewable energy infrastructure New England needs to meet electricity demands, strengthen the grid, and provide clean air for its citizens,” said Anne Reynolds, offshore wind lead for industry group American Clean Power Association (ACP).
Biden ramp
BOEM has ramped offshore wind project approvals and leasing as it nears the election in November that could halt the sector in its tracks.