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Dive brief:
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The Interior Department on Tuesday approved the construction and operations plan, or COP, for Maryland’s 2 GW offshore wind project, securing the last federal permit the US wind developer needs from the department to begin construction. construction
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The permit paves the way for the construction of more than a hundred wind turbines off the coast of Maryland and Delaware, and will help build the U.S. offshore wind supply chain, according to the Oceantic Network, a trade association that represents the offshore wind industry.
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The Interior Department’s Office of Ocean Energy Management also issued a Record of Decision this week finalizing a list of environmental measures expected to apply to future wind energy projects in New York and New Jersey.
Diving knowledge:
Offshore wind groups see signs of hope for a stronger industry supply chain after the country’s 10th commercial offshore wind farm was approved this week.
“Maryland Offshore Wind will create American jobs by leveraging a strong, local offshore wind supply chain,” said Liz Burdock, founder and CEO of Oceantic Network, in a statement. “US Wind has advanced plans to return steelmaking to the former Bethlehem Steel facility in Dundalk, and the project will support a variety of other industries throughout its life cycle.”
US Wind has spent more than four years securing permits for the Maryland offshore wind project, according to CEO Jeff Grybowski. The company also received a letter of authorization from the National Marine Fisheries Service on November 26. USA Wind acquired the 80,000-acre lease on the Maryland coast in 2014.
The COP covers the construction of up to 114 wind turbines, four offshore substations, a weather tower and up to four cable corridors with submarine transmission cables that touch land in Sussex County, Delaware. The project is located 10 nautical miles from Ocean City, Maryland.
US Wind continues to work with the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to obtain the necessary permits for nearshore activities, he said Nancy Sopko, Vice President of External Affairs at US Wind. The company is working to achieve a breakthrough by 2026, with offshore construction expected to begin in 2028.
In July, US Wind filed a rebid request with the Maryland Public Service Commission for 1,710 MW of offshore wind power. The wind would be delivered in phases: 405 MW by the end of 2028 and the rest in 2030, according to the application. The company expects to sell Maryland nearly 7 million MWh a year Maryland PSC staff recommended Tuesday that the commission approve the request, with minor changes.
“[BOEM’s] The approval allows Maryland to meet growing demand for electricity, drive economic growth and job creation, and strengthen America’s energy security,” said Anne Reynolds, vice president of offshore wind at American Clean Power , in a statement. “The project will generate substantial economic investment in the state, including the establishment of a new domestic manufacturing facility at Sparrows Point, along with new high-quality American jobs, to produce critical steel components for to the projects”.
The Sparrows Point facility, Sopko said, “will be on the old site of Bethlehem Steel, which was once the largest steel mill in the world. Bethlehem Steel built the Liberty ships for World War II World and supplied the steel girders for the Empire State Building in New York City Sparrows Point Steel will use American steel and skilled American workers to make components for America’s next big energy industry. “.
Earlier in the week, BOEM said it has finalized a Record of Decision outlining the environmental measures likely to apply to future offshore wind development in the six lease areas off the coast of New York and New Jersey. The 58 measures identified in the report represent strategies implemented in previously granted permits, and may be included in future construction and operation plans to reduce potential environmental impacts, according to BOEM.
The Environmental Protection Agency also announced a public comment period Monday on two draft air quality permits for the New England Wind 1 and New England Wind 2 projects that would cover all air emissions from projects, including emissions from ships that can be used for repairs. wind turbines
