Wind Energy – USA
US Wind has achieved final environmental approval for its Maryland offshore wind project.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) authorizing the construction of up to 114 turbines totaling a 2,200 MW capacity, enough to power 770,000 homes with offshore wind energy.
US Wind has been awarded offtake agreements with the state of Maryland and this fall will re-engage the state’s public utility board to restructure those agreements. As part of its proposed project, US Wind advanced plans to build an offshore wind turbine foundation facility in Baltimore Harbor, which, when fully operational, would employ up to 530 people including hundreds of unionized steelworkers.
Yesterday’s action by BOEM marks the tenth environmental review completed by the agency under the Biden-Harris Administration. Once US Wind’s project receives final approval to begin construction in the next few weeks, the pipeline of approved projects will exceed 15 GW. Currently, more than 5 GW of projects are under installation and 300+ MW are operational.
