November 18, 2024 — Even as the town continues to address the fallout from the July 13th blade failure at Vineyard Wind, it is now turning its attention to the next offshore wind farm slated to be built in the waters off Nantucket.
SouthCoast Wind is a 2,400 megawatt offshore wind project slated for an area approximately 23 miles southwest of the island consisting of 149 wind turbines, each standing 1,066 feet tall – even higher than Vineyard Wind’s turbines which are 853 feet tall. The project recently secured key state permits and completed an environmental review by the federal government.
The final environmental impact statement for SouthCoast Wind released by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) concluded that the visibility of SouthCoast Wind’s turbines “would have long-term, continuous, and moderate impacts on the Nantucket Historic District.”
The town is already objecting to SouthCoast Wind’s proposed mitigation efforts – just $150,000 for historic property surveys and archeological assessments – to limit the impact of the offshore energy development on the island.