- Project Overview
- Leasing History
- Site Assessment Plan
- Construction and Operations Plan
- Visual Simulations
- Environmental Review
What's New?
Record of Decision (ROD)
On April 2, 2024, the Department of the Interior announced the approval of the New England Wind offshore wind project. The New England Wind project is expected to generate up to 2,600 megawatts of electricity, sufficient to power more than 900,000 homes with clean renewable energy. The lease area is located about 20 nautical miles (nm) south of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and about 24 nm southwest of Nantucket, Massachusetts. The Record of Decision (ROD) documents the decision to approve the construction of up to 129 wind turbines within the lease area. The following documents are available for your viewing.
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)
On Feb. 26, 2024, BOEM announced the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed New England Wind project, located about 20 nautical miles (nm) from the southwest corner of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts., and about 24 nm from Nantucket, Massachusetts.
The following documents are available for your viewing.
- New England Wind FEIS Notice of Availability (Docket No. BOEM-2024-0011)
- New England Wind FEIS
- New England Wind Construction and Operations Plan and Appendices
- New England Wind COP VIA project photo simulations and Cumulative Effects photo simulations (see “Visual Simulations” tab)
- New England Wind Cumulative Historic Resources Visual Effects Assessment
Through a competitive leasing process (30 CFR 585.211), BOEM awarded Lease OCS-A 0501 to Vineyard Wind, LLC on April 1, 2015.
On June 28, 2021, BOEM approved a partial assignment of the northernmost 65,296 acres of Lease OCS-A 0501 from Vineyard Wind, LLC to Vineyard Wind 1, LLC. The assigned lease under Vineyard Wind 1, LLC continues to be designated Lease OCS-A 0501. Vineyard Wind, LLC retained the remaining 101,590 acres, which are designated Lease OCS-A 0534 for this New England Wind Project. Except for the description of the leased area, which now reflects the two different lease areas, the terms, conditions, and stipulations of the two leases, including the lease effective date of April 1, 2015, remain the same.
On December 14, 2021, BOEM approved the assignment of Lease OCS-A 0534 from Vineyard Wind, LLC to Park City Wind LLC. Park City Wind LLC has the exclusive right to submit a COP for activities within Lease OCS-A 0534. The majority of the New England Wind project is proposed within Lease OCS-A 0534, with a small portion of the area within Lease OCS-A 0501 also identified for potential development; however, any development of the area within Lease OCS-A 0501 would require an additional (future) lease assignment.
On May 10, 2018, BOEM approved the Site Assessment Plan (SAP) for Lease OCS-A 0501 submitted by Vineyard Wind, LLC (which at that time encompassed what is now Lease OCS-A-0534 – see “Leasing History” tab for more information). The SAP approval allows for the installation of up to two Fugro SEAWATCH Wind LiDAR metocean buoys. For additional information, please find the approved SAP below:
A phased development Construction and Operations Plan (COP) was submitted to BOEM on July 2, 2020, proposing the construction and installation, operations and maintenance, and conceptual decommissioning of the following offshore wind energy facilities (includes Phases 1 & 2):
- Up to 130 wind turbine generators (WTG) and electrical service platform (ESP) positions
- 1 to 5 offshore ESPs
- Inter-array and inter-link cables
- Up to 3 onshore substations
- Up to 5 transmission cables.
New England Wind has also provided two COP updates:
- Fall 2021:
- incorporated additional cable routing variants for Phase 2 offshore export cables (see Summary of Project Updates);
- Spring 2022
- eliminated the maximum capacity in megawatts (MW) per WTG for both phases because technologies continue to advance with many variations on how power capacity is defined and delivered; and
- for Phase 1, increased the maximum WTG and ESP size parameters, which in turn has implications for the minimum/maximum number of WTGs and total area footprints of Phases 1 and 2 (there were no modifications to the proposed Phase 1 foundation parameters).
The Spring 2022 COP updates (eliminating the maximum capacity in MW per WTG for both phases, and the increase in Phase 1 WTG and ESP size parameters) are summarized in Tables 1-3:
Table 1: Modifications to Phase 1 WTG Parameters*
Parameter | Maximum COP Envelope | Modification | Change from Maximum Envelope |
Capacity (per turbine) | 16 MW | N/A | N/A |
Rotor Diameter | 255 m (837 ft) | 285 m (937 ft) | +30 m (98 ft) |
Tip Height above Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) | 319 m (1,047 ft) | 357 m (1,171 ft) | +38 m (125 ft) |
Tip Clearance above MLLW | 27 m (89 ft) | 27 m (89 ft) | 0 |
Hub Height above MLLW | 192 m (630 ft) | 214 m (702 ft) | +22 m (72 ft) |
*All parameters are maximum values except for Tip Clearance, which is a minimum clearance
Table 2: Modifications to the Phase 1 ESP Topside Parameters
Parameter | Maximum COP Envelope | Modification | Change from Maximum Envelope |
Maximum Width | 45 m (148 ft) | 60 m (197 ft) | +15 m (49 ft) |
Maximum Length | 70 m (230 ft) | 100 m (328 ft) | +30 m (98 ft) |
Maximum Height | 38 m (125 ft) | 38 m (125 ft) | 0 |
Maximum Heights above Tip Height above Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) | 70 m (230 ft) | 70m (230 ft) | 0 |
Table 3: Area Adjustments for Phases 1 and 2
Phase 1 | COP Envelope | Adjustment |
Number of WTGs | 50-62 | 41-62 |
Area | 182-231 km2 | 150-231 km2 |
Phase 2 | COP Envelope | Adjustment |
Number of WTGs | Up to 79 | Up to 88 |
Area | 222-271 km2 | 222-303 km2 |
In August 2023, an updated COP was submitted. The August 2023 version of the COP informs the basis for the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) that was published on Feb. 26, 2024.
On Feb. 28, 2024, an updated COP was submitted which consisted of minor administrative updates.
The visual impact assessment includes photo simulations from numerous Key Observation Points (KOPs) and provides a detailed analysis of the potential visibility of the proposed Project and differences in landscape visual quality with and without the Project in place.
Photo simulations of the proposed New England Wind Project from all KOPs may be viewed or downloaded in the following:
Cumulative Effects Simulations may be viewed or downloaded from the DEIS Appendix I - Attachment 1 Cumulative Photo simulations by KOP (see figure 3 cumulative effects simulation Key Observation Points)
- NE Wind COP Cumulative Sim_Cover Page_August 2023
- NE Wind COP Cumulative Sim_Aquinnah_August 2023_PUBLIC
- NE Wind COP Cumulative Sim_Madaket_August 2023_PUBLIC
- NE Wind COP Cumulative Sim_Peaked Hill_August 2023_PUBLIC
- NE Wind COP Cumulative Sim_South Beach_August 2023_PUBLIC
- NE Wind COP Cumulative Sim_Tom Nevers_August 2023_PUBLIC
- NE Wind COP Cumulative Sim_Wasque_August 2023_PUBLIC
Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Scoping
On June 30, 2021, BOEM published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Vineyard Wind South Project offshore Massachusetts. The NOI initiated a 30-day public comment period, ending on July 30, 2021.
BOEM received an updated COP in Fall 2021 to incorporate additional cable routing variants for the Phase 2 offshore export cables. BOEM issued a Notice of Additional Public Scoping and Name Change in the Federal Register, opening a second public comment period on November 22, 2021. The 30-day public comment period ended on December 22, 2021.
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
On Dec. 23, 2022, BOEM announced the availability of the draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed New England Wind Project offshore Massachusetts. The Notice of Availability and DEIS can be accessed using the links below.
- New England Wind DEIS Notice of Availability (Docket No. BOEM-2022-0070)
- New England Wind Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
BOEM held three public meetings to hear comment on the DEIS. Please see this link for more information: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/new-england-wind-virtual-meeting-room
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)
On Feb. 26, 2024, BOEM announced the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed New England Wind project, located about 20 nautical miles (nm) from the southwest corner of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts., and about 24 nm from Nantucket, Massachusetts.
The following documents are available for your viewing.
- New England Wind FEIS Notice of Availability (Docket No. BOEM-2024-0011)
- New England Wind FEIS
- New England Wind Construction and Operations Plan and Appendices
- New England Wind COP VIA project photo simulations and Cumulative Effects photo simulations (see “Visual Simulations” tab)
- New England Wind Cumulative Historic Resources Visual Effects Assessment
Record of Decision (ROD)
On April 2, 2024, the Department of the Interior announced the approval of the New England Wind offshore wind project. The New England Wind project is expected to generate up to 2,600 megawatts of electricity, sufficient to power more than 900,000 homes with clean renewable energy. The lease area is located about 20 nautical miles (nm) south of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and about 24 nm southwest of Nantucket, Massachusetts. The Record of Decision (ROD) documents the decision to approve the construction of up to 129 wind turbines within the lease area. The following documents are available for your viewing.