The U.S. federal government has approved the plan for construction and operations of Oceans Wind 1 project, just 13 nautical miles southeast of Atlantic City, New Jersey. The project will have an estimated capacity of 1.1 GW and is expected to create more than 3,000 good-paying jobs through development and a three-year construction cycle.
This is the Biden-Harris administration’s third approval of a commercial-scale, offshore wind energy project in the United States, joining the Vineyard Wind project offshore Massachusetts and the South Fork Wind project offshore Rhode Island and New York, both now under construction and being built by union labor.
“Since Day One, the Biden-Harris administration has worked to jump-start the offshore wind industry across the country – and today’s approval for the Ocean Wind 1 project is another milestone in our efforts to create good-paying union jobs while combatting climate change and powering our nation,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. “By working closely with state and local leaders, Tribes, ocean users, and other stakeholders, we are moving forward with responsible clean energy development that will benefit communities, while also mitigating potential impacts on the environment or marine life.”
The Record of Decision (ROD) documents the decision to approve Ocean Wind LLC’s plan to construct up to 98 wind turbines and up to three offshore substations within its lease area.
The decision also documents the extensive range of monitoring and mitigation measures that Ocean Wind will undertake to reduce the potential for impacts to protected species, such as marine mammals, sea turtles, and Atlantic sturgeon. These measures include vessel speed restrictions and clearance zones during construction. Ocean Wind has also committed to three fisheries mitigation programs: a direct compensation program for reimbursement of lost revenues, a navigational safety fund for navigation equipment upgrades, and a reimbursement program for lost or damaged commercial fishing gear. BOEM worked with Tribes, federal, state, and local government agencies and reviewed comments provided by industry, ocean users, and other key partners and stakeholders to develop these measures.
News item from BOEM
Filed Under: News
