Saving Seafood

Vineyard Wind: Massachusetts Certifies Environmental Impact Report

February 13, 2019 — Vineyard Wind announced on 5 February 2019 that Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Matthew A. Beaton has certified the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the United States’ first utility-scale offshore wind farm.

The decision finalizes the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) review process for the proposed 800 megawatt (MW) offshore wind generation and transmission project, allowing the project to proceed with state, regional and local permitting.

“The MEPA environmental review process provided a significant benefit to the project, allowing numerous stakeholders, advocacy groups, and interested citizens to help identify and address impacts so they can be effectively managed or mitigated,” said Erich Stephens, Chief Development Officer for Vineyard Wind. “Our team will continue to work collaboratively with state, regional and local regulatory agencies – as well as all stakeholders- as the project moves forward.”

With MEPA’s certification, the project will now seek permit review from the Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard Commissions, and the Barnstable Conservation Commission, among others.

Read the full story at Ocean News & Technology

 

Massachusetts: Vineyard Wind Submits Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Report

September 5, 2018 — Vineyard Wind announced today that it has submitted the project’s Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Report (SDEIR) to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office (MEPA.) The latest report will further ensure that members of public have ample opportunity to provide input about the United States’ first large-scale offshore wind farm.

The SDEIR filing captures additional project refinements following the award and negotiation of long-term contracts with Massachusetts’ electric distribution companies (EDCs) for construction of an 800-megawatt (MW) wind farm 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard.

Vineyard Wind remains on schedule to begin site construction in 2019 and become operational by 2021. When Vineyard Wind’s project is completed, it will reduce Massachusetts’ carbon emissions by over 1.6 million tons per year, the equivalent of removing 325,000 cars from state roads.

Read the full story at Cape Cod Today