June 24, 2024 — The pace of approvals continues after years of review with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today approving the ninth commercial-scale offshore wind farm. The project known as Sunrise Wind is currently jointly owned by Ørsted and Eversource Energy, although Eversource has agreed to sell its shares as part of a strategy for existing offshore wind investments.
“BOEM’s approval of the Sunrise Wind project represents another step in building a thriving offshore wind energy industry,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. The bureau issued its approval for the Construction and Operation Plan today after the Department of the Interior in March 2024 published its Record of Decision on the project.
These are the final steps for federal approval for the wind farm which will have a capacity of 924 MW. Sunrise Wind also recently finalized its agreements with NYSERDA on the project’s 25-year Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificates (OREC) contract. The COP which was approved today outlines the project’s one nautical mile turbine spacing, the requirements on the construction methodology for all work occurring in federal ocean waters, and mitigation measures to protect marine habitats and species.
“Sunrise Wind is a centerpiece of New York’s clean energy vision, and with this final federal approval we can officially put the construction phase in motion,” said David Hardy, Group EVP and CEO Americas at Ørsted. “BOEM’s approval is an important milestone not just for New York but also for America’s domestic energy sector.”