The US Department of the Interior has announced it has approved the construction and operations of the South Fork Wind project offshore Rhode Island ,USA. This represents the Department’s second approval of a commercial-scale, offshore wind energy project in the USA.
The approximately 130MW South Fork Wind project will be located approximately 19 miles southeast of Block Island, Rhode Island, and 35 miles east of Montauk Point, New York.
Today’s Record of Decision (ROD) documents the decision to approve South Fork Wind, LLC’s plan to install 12 or fewer turbines off Rhode Island. The ROD adopts a range of measures to help avoid, minimize, and mitigate potential impacts that could result from the construction and operation of the proposed project. These requirements were developed after consultation with Tribes; Federal, state, and local government agencies; as well as industry, ocean users, and other key partners and stakeholders.
The ROD is jointly signed by and addresses permitting decisions by Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Marine Fisheries Service within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Prior to construction, South Fork Wind, LLC must submit a facility design report and a fabrication and installation report. These engineering and technical reports provide specific details for how the facility will be fabricated and installed in accordance with South Fork’s approved plan for construction and operations.
