The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) gave the approval to prepare an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for Kitty Hawk North, the first offshore project within the company’s Kitty Hawk Wind Energy Area (WEA).
“Kitty Hawk can transform the energy mix of Virginia and North Carolina while delivering a triple-win for the environment, coastal communities and the region’s economy,” said Alejandro de Hoz, president and CEO of Avangrid Renewables. “We look forward to continuing our work with state and local leaders, BOEM and communities to begin the formal environmental review and ultimately deliver this transformational project.”
Kitty Hawk North consists of nearly 50,000 acres located over 27 miles off the coast of the Outer Banks in North Carolina, due east of Corolla, with a capacity of at least 800 MW. When the entire 122,405 acre Kitty Hawk WEA is developed, it is expected to support a total generation capacity of up to 2,500 MW.
“Kitty Hawk North is a game-changer for the mid-Atlantic,” said Bill White, head of offshore wind for Avangrid Renewables. “Not only can this project help Virginia and North Carolina meet their vital clean energy goals with cost-effective power, but Kitty Hawk will help a new industry take flight in this region and create thousands of quality jobs.”
Kitty Hawk North is will contribute to both Virginia’s Clean Economy Act and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive order establishing an offshore wind target of 8,000 MW for the state; is estimated to generate $2 billion of tax revenue from 2021 to 2030; and create nearly 1,000 jobs in North Carolina and Virginia.
Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind has established a local office in Virginia Beach, to support ongoing project development, community outreach and workforce development activities.
In addition to Kitty Hawk, Avangrid Renewables is a partner on Vineyard Wind 1, the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the United States which will deliver 800 MW of clean energy to Massachusetts beginning in 2023. The company is also a partner on Park City Wind, an 804 MW project that will serve the state of Connecticut, as well as on additional lease areas off the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island which can deliver up to 3,500 MW.
News item from Avangrid Renewables
Filed Under: News, Offshore wind, Projects
