March 12, 2021
Final Environmental Impact Statement
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has completed the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed Vineyard Wind 1 Offshore Energy Project. BOEM has published a Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register.
Vineyard Wind is proposing what is expected to be the first project developed in their lease area, an 800-megawatt wind energy project offshore Massachusetts. The proposed project would be located approximately 12 nautical miles offshore Martha’s Vineyard and 12 nautical miles offshore Nantucket in the northern portion of Vineyard Wind’s lease area. If approved, it would be the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the United States.
The FEIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of making a decision on Vineyard Wind’s Construction and Operation Plan. For more information, visit BOEM’s Vineyard Wind project page.
Overview
The purpose of this web page is to provide links to interactive Northeast Ocean Data Portal maps relevant to the environmental review and permitting documents for the proposed Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind energy project in Lease Area OCS-A 0501.
Vineyard Wind LLC proposes to build an approximately 800-megawatt (MW) wind energy facility with up to one hundred wind turbines located approximately 12 nautical miles (22 km) of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. For complete information about the Vineyard Wind project and the environmental review and permitting process, visit BOEM’s Vineyard Wind project page.
Lease Area: OCS-A 0501
Lessee: Vineyard Wind LLC
Parent Companies:
Avangrid Renewables LLC
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
Status:
Planning & Analysis – Completed
Leasing – Completed
Site Assessment – Completed
Construction & Operations –
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) Completed
June 11, 2020
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has completed a Supplement to its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the proposed Vineyard Wind 1 Offshore Energy Project. BOEM has published a Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register, which opened a 45-day public comment period.
During the public comment period, BOEM will conduct five live, virtual public meetings where the public can learn more about the review process, EIS schedule, potential impacts and proposed mitigations of the proposed project, and ask questions as well as provide oral testimony. The live virtual meetings will be held on the following dates and times. All times are Eastern:
- Friday, June 26, 2020 at 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at 1 p.m.
- Thursday, July 2, 2020 at 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, July 7, 2020 at 1 p.m.
- Thursday, July 9, 2020 at 5 p.m.
Registration for the virtual meetings is encouraged. Additional information about the meetings, including instructions on how to register, may be found on BOEM’s virtual meeting room: https://www.boem.gov/Vineyard-Wind-SEIS-Virtual-Meeting. The virtual meeting room will be available throughout the 45-day comment period and will include a copy of the SEIS, fact sheets, posters, pre-recorded presentations, and the opportunity to submit questions and comments to BOEM. BOEM encourages early submission of questions so that they can incorporate them into a frequently asked questions section in the virtual meeting room. Input received during the public comment period will inform the Final EIS. Comments on the SEIS should be submitted or postmarked no later than July 27, 2020.
The SEIS analyzes reasonably foreseeable effects from an expanded cumulative activities scenario for offshore wind development. It also considers previously unavailable fishing data, a new transit lane alternative, and changes to the Construction and Operations Plan since publication of the Draft EIS. This supplement was informed by comments from a wide variety of stakeholders including state and local governments, federal agencies, industry, and the public. For more information, visit BOEM’s Vineyard Wind project page.
Public Comment Period Closed July 27, 2020
February 8, 2019
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
This section provides links to interactive Northeast Ocean Data Portal maps that include some of the data referenced in the Vineyard Wind Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The Vineyard Wind DEIS contains maps depicting datasets from a variety of sources, some of which are available on the Portal.
In December 2018, the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project. BOEM held public hearings about the DEIS in Massachusetts and Rhode Island during the week of February 11, 2019. The public comment period closed February 22, 2019.
The DEIS was developed to determine whether to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove the Construction and Operations Plan submitted by Vineyard Wind LLC. Input received during the public comment period will be used by BOEM to inform preparation of the Final Environmental Impact Statement.
Public Comment Period Closed February 22, 2019
BOEM Public Hearings:
Feb. 11, 2019: Nantucket, MA
Feb. 12, 2019: Vineyard Haven, MA
Feb. 13, 2019: Hyannis, MA
Feb. 14, 2019: New Bedford, MA
Feb. 15, 2019: Narragansett, RI
Proposed Project Area and Other Nearby Lease Areas
DEIS Figure 1.1-1: Proposed Project Area Relative to Massachusetts and Rhode Island Lease Areas
Bird Species with Higher Sensitivity to Collision with Offshore Wind Facilities: Total Abundance
DEIS Figure 3.3.2-1: Total Avian Relative Abundance Distribution Map for the Higher Collision Sensitivity Species Group
The Northeast Ocean Data Portal map shows the same dataset with an Atlantic coast-scale color scheme.
Bird Species with Higher Sensitivity to Displacement by Offshore Wind Facilities: Total Abundance
DEIS Figure 3.3.2-2: Total Avian Relative Abundance Distribution Map for the Higher Displacement Sensitivity Species Group
The Northeast Ocean Data Portal map shows the same dataset with an Atlantic coast-scale color scheme.
Squid Fishing Vessel Activity (2015-2016)
DEIS Figure 3.4.5-2: Squid Fishing Intensity Based on VMS Data (2015-2016)
Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Fishing Vessel Activity (2015-2016)
DEIS Figure 3.4.5-5: Surfclam/Ocean Quahog Fishing Intensity Based on VMS Data (2015-2016)
Sea Scallop Fishing Vessel Activity (2015-2016)
DEIS Figure 3.4.5-6: Sea Scallop Fishing Intensity Based on VMS Data (2015-2016)
Fishing Vessel Transit Counts: July 2016
DEIS Figure 3.4.5-8: Fishing Monthly Vessel Transit Counts from 2016 AIS Northeast and Mid-Atlantic (July 2016)
Fishing Vessel Transit Counts: July 2017
DEIS Figure 3.4.5-9: Fishing Monthly Vessel Transit Counts from 2017 AIS Northeast and Mid-Atlantic (July 2017)
All Vessel Traffic (2017) and Shipping Lanes
DEIS Figure 3.4.7-1: Vessel Traffic, 2017
