The South Fork project will be located within federal waters on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in BOEM Renewable Energy Lease Area OCS-A 0517, approximately 19 miles southeast of Block Island, Rhode Island, and 35 miles east of Montauk Point, New York.
On January 18, 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved the Construction and Operations Plan for the South Fork Wind Farm and South Fork Export Cable Project.
Next Steps
Public Engagement
BOEM coordinates public information meetings to help keep interested stakeholders updated on renewable energy milestones occurring offshore. To obtain information discussed during these meetings click on the link below.
For more information, please see: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/south-fork-wind-farm-virtual-meetings.
Related Press Releases
- Secretary Haaland Celebrates Groundbreaking of Nation’s Second Major Offshore Wind Project (02/11/2022)
- Interior Department Approves Second Major Offshore Wind Project in U.S. Federal Waters (11/24/2021)
- BOEM Completes Environmental Review for Wind Project Proposed for Offshore Rhode Island and New York (08/16/2021)
- BOEM Releases Draft Environmental Analysis for Offshore Wind Energy Project (01/05/2021)
April 1, 2016: The SAP was filed with revisions filed in July, September, and November 2016.
October 7, 2016: BOEM determined the SAP was complete.
October 12, 2017: BOEM approved the Site Assessment Plan (SAP) for Lease OCS-A 0486 (Deepwater Wind New England LLC). The SAP approval allows for the installation of an AXYS FLiDAR 6M™ meteorological buoy within the lease area. For additional information, please find the approved SAP and conditions of approval below:
Construction and Operations Plan (COP)
June 29, 2018: South Fork Wind, LLC (formerly Deepwater Wind) submitted its COP on June 29, 2018. Deepwater Wind submitted updated COPs on May 24, 2019, and February 13, 2020, July 22, 2020, and May 7, 2021.
The project is located within federal waters on the OCS, specifically in BOEM Renewable Energy Lease Area OCS-A 0517, approximately 19 miles (30.6 kilometers [km], 16.6 nautical miles [nm]) southeast of Block Island, Rhode Island, and 35 mi (56.3 km, 30.4 nm) east of Montauk Point, New York.
April 8, 2019: the project sponsor requested a project pause in order to provide additional information in their COP. The project pause continued while BOEM conducted an analysis to address public comments regarding cumulative impacts of future offshore wind development.
January 16, 2020: Deepwater Wind New England, LLC. submitted an application to BOEM to assign 13,700 acres of OCS-A 0486 to Deepwater Wind South Fork, LLC.
March 23, 2020: The lease area assigned to Deepwater Wind South Fork, LLC now carries the new lease number OCS-A 0517.
February 13, 2020: the project sponsor submitted an updated COP which changed the turbine layout to address navigational safety issues raised by the commercial fishing industry. The updated COP, lease assignment, and BOEM’s development of a more robust cumulative-impact analysis for offshore wind projects moving forward necessitated additional interagency coordination in developing the permitting timetable.
August 21, 2020: working with other Federal agencies, BOEM updated the Permitting Dashboard for the South Fork Wind Farm: https://www.permits.performance.gov/permitting-projects/south-fork-wind-farm-and-south-fork-export-cable
Construction and Operations Plan for Lease OCS-A 0517
November 2021: the Department of the Interior announced the approval of the construction and operation of the South Fork wind project.
January 18, 2022: the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved the Construction and Operations Plan for the South Fork Wind Farm and South Fork Export Cable Project.
October 19, 2018: BOEM published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) submitted by Deepwater Wind South Fork LLC (Deepwater Wind).
The publication of the NOI initiated the public scoping process and opened a 30-day public comment period, which ended on November 19, 2018. During this time, BOEM held public scoping meetings and accepted comments. Comments on the NOI can be found at https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=BOEM-2018-0010. The public scoping process is used to identify issues and potential alternatives for consideration in the EIS.
January 4, 2021: BOEM released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the South Fork Wind Farm and South Fork Export Cable Project. The following documents are available for your viewing.
- Notice of Availability of the South Fork DEIS
- South Fork DEIS (Posted January 4, 2021)
- Scoping Summary Report
- Cumulative Historic Resources Visual Effects Analysis, Panorama Simulations and Appendix B
- Biological Assessment submitted to National Marine Fisheries Service
- Biological Assessment submitted to US Fish and Wildlife Service
- Essential Fish Habitat submitted to National Marine Fisheries Service
- South Fork EFH Consultation Letter (June 7, 2021)
- South Fork Wind Fisheries Research Monitoring Plan
- South Fork Wind New York State Fisheries Study Work Plan
During the comment period, BOEM hosted three virtual meetings to allow stakeholders to learn more about the DEIS, ask questions, and provide oral testimony. These virtual public meetings also served as public hearings for the Army Corps of Engineers Section 10 and Section 404 permit review. For more information, please see: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/south-fork-wind-farm-virtual-meetings.
August 16, 2021: BOEM published a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the South Fork Wind Farm and South Fork Export Cable Project.
- Notice of Availability of the South Fork FEIS
- South Fork FEIS (August 16, 2021)
- South Fork Construction and Operations Plan and Appendices (Updated May 7, 2021)
- Finding of Effect and Memorandum of Agreement