The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has given the thumbs up to the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) of the 704-MW Revolution Wind Farm project off Rhode Island and Connecticut.
The approval by the Department of Interior (DOI) agency was the final hurdle in the permitting process for the scheme, enabling its developers to proceed with offshore construction. The scheme is a joint venture between Denmark’s Ørsted A/S and US utility Eversource Energy.
To be built about 15 nautical miles southeast of Point Judith, Rhode Island, Revolution Wind will deliver 304 MW to Connecticut and 400 MW to Rhode Island. Its total output is expected to be enough to meet the demand of over 350,000 homes in the two states, helping them achieve their climate goals.
Onshore building activities for the project have already been initiated, with offshore construction and installation due to be launched next year. The commissioning of the wind farm’s 65 Siemens Gamesa turbines is scheduled for 2025.
BOEM’s final approval of the COP comes after the agency issued a favourable Record of Decision for the scheme and concluded the environmental review procedures. The final approval was met with a public outcry and a subsequent appeal by the Preservation Society of Newport County, which states that BOEM has not complied with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act and failed to resolve adverse effects to historic properties.
The appeal in the US District Court for the District of Columbia is part of a larger campaign that also challenges the approval of the 132-MW South Fork offshore wind park off New York, claiming the permit contains legal errors.
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