US offshore wind developer Vineyard Wind has warned that it would be very challenging to move forward the Vineyard Wind 1 project in its current configuration if the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not issued within the next four to six weeks.
As reported earlier, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) postponed the issuance of the final EIS for the 800MW project off Massachusetts.
Vineyard Wind has since met with BOEM officials and has learned that the agency is continuing its review of the potential impacts of the project before releasing the final EIS.
”Through all of our communications with government officials, it has been made clear to us that there was no intention to prevent the Vineyard Wind 1 project from moving forward,” the developer said.
Vineyard Wind added that BOEM understood the given time constraint and that the agency would communicate this to the Secretary of the Interior, who is responsible for final action on this project.
”Vineyard Wind has also communicated to the Secretary directly about its concerns regarding the delay,” the developer said.
The first large-scale offshore wind farm in the US will feature MHI Vestas 9.5MW turbines located some 14 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. Vineyard Wind plans to start construction this year and have the wind farm fully operational in 2022.