November 29, 2024 — The federal Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM) recently published the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 147-turbine SouthCoast Wind project off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.
Southcoast Wind’s offshore turbines will primarily be visible off the coast of Nantucket, but the company’s pathway to profitability relies in part on permitting from the state of Rhode Island. The company plans to run a transmission cable through the state’s coastal waters, up the Sakonnet River, over Portsmouth’s Common Fence Point, and across Mount Hope Bay to Brayton Point in Somerset, Massachusetts.
The 491-page EIS document delves into details about the project’s anticipated impact on everything from fisheries and whales to underwater archaeological sites of cultural significance. It also includes a “finding of adverse effect” on nine historic locations, including two historic sites with ocean views on Nantucket and in Falmouth, Massachusetts.