Vineyard Wind Submits Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Report

US offshore wind developer Vineyard Wind has submitted a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Report (SDEIR) to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office (MEPA) for the 800MW Vineyard Wind project offshore Massachusetts.

MEPA requested the SDEIR in June. The SDEIR filing captures additional project refinements following the award and negotiation of long-term contracts with Massachusetts’ electric distribution companies (EDCs) for construction of the 800MW wind farm 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard.

The SDEIR incorporates additional offshore studies conducted during the spring and summer. These additional marine surveys are said to provide additional details about the project’s offshore cable route, including Lewis Bay.

Additional data is expected to further inform the constructive dialogue that Vineyard Wind has engaged with a range of stakeholders, including Cape Cod residents, state and federal agencies and a variety of advocacy groups, including environmental advocates, fishermen and natural resource regulators and managers.

The SDEIR will be open to public comment until 5 October.

Vineyard Wind, a partnership between Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, said the project remains on schedule to begin site construction in 2019 and become operational by 2021.