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Posts Tagged ‘SouthCoast Wind’

BOEM cleared to reconsider South Coast Wind approval

Posted in Offshore Wind, tagged , , , , , on November 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The Construction and Operations Plan (COP) for the SouthCoast Wind project was approved during the last week of the Biden Administration. That approval has been challenged by the Town and County of Nantucket. Ocean Wind, a joint venture of EDP Renewables (Portugal) and ENGIE (France), is the leaseholder.

Yesterday, the court issued an order concurring with the Federal government’s request for a voluntary remand of the COP approval. The court decision is attached. The Order concludes as follows:

It is ORDERED that the case be REMANDED to BOEM for reconsideration of its decision and that proceedings in this court are STAYED until further order of the court. It is further ORDERED that, on or before January 3, 2026, and every 60 days thereafter, the parties shall file a joint status report indicating the status of BOEM’s remand proceedings. It is further ORDERED that on or before 30 days following the issuance of a decision by BOEM, the parties shall file a joint status report informing the court if further proceedings are necessary and, if so, providing a proposed schedule for those proceedings.

gov.uscourts.dcd.278893.30.0Download

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Court filing points to likely reversal of SouthCoast Wind COP approval (ala Maryland Wind)

Posted in Offshore Wind, Regulation, energy policy, tagged , , , , , , on September 2, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The Construction and Operations Plan (COP) for the SouthCoast Wind project was approved during the last week of the Biden Administration. That approval has been challenged by the Town and County of Nantucket. Ocean Wind, a joint venture of EDP Renewables (Portugal) and ENGIE (France), is the leaseholder.

As is the case for Maryland Wind, a court filing (attached) indicates that DOI is reconsidering the approval of the SouthCoast Wind COP. Construction has not begun on this project.

A further deferral of Federal Defendants’ responsive pleading deadline in this case is needed because Interior intends to reconsider its COP approval and will therefore be moving for a voluntary remand of that agency action by September 18, 2025.

FEDERAL DEFENDANTS MOTION TO DEFER THE DEADLINE TO RESPOND TO PLAINTIFFS COMPLAINT Southcoast Wind September 2, 2025 (PDF)Download

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Nantucket call for action

Posted in Offshore Wind, tagged , , , on December 14, 2024| Leave a Comment »

From the Town of Nantucket:

The Town of Nantucket calls on you to help safeguard one of the nation’s most treasured National Historic Landmarks. We ask that you contact the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and the Massachusetts State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) to urge them to decline signing the Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for SouthCoast Wind. Section 106 requires federal agencies to consider the effects on historic properties of projects they carry out, assist, fund, permit, license, or approve throughout the country, and to find ways to avoid, minimize, or mitigate adverse effects on those properties.

Meanwhile, Vineyard Wind turbine blade installation has resumed.

Vineyard Wind posts

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Buyer’s remorse in Nantucket

Posted in energy policy, Offshore Energy - General, Offshore Wind, tagged , , , , , on November 27, 2024| Leave a Comment »

A recent Nantucket Current piece criticizes the Nantucket Select Board for failing to address community concerns about the attached Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA) with Vineyard Wind. In particular, any discussion about the GNA was throttled at a recent public forum on the SouthCoast Wind project.

Some key points from the article and related thoughts:

  • Over 2,000 individuals and 150 businesses have signed a petition asking the Nantucket Select Board to withdraw from the GNA.
  • The GNA established a long-term relationship between Vineyard Wind and Nantucket. In essence, Nantucket became a partner and an advocate for the projects.
  • Sections 5.2 and 5.3 of the GNA are particularly striking and believed to be unprecedented in the history of Federal offshore energy programs.
  • Section 5.2 defines Nantucket’s broad advocacy responsibilities.
  • Section 5.3 stipulates that “the Nantucket Parties shall use their reasonable best efforts to inform federal, state, and local elected officials of their support for the Projects” throughout the environmental, historical, and state review processes. Wow, nothing subtle about that directive!
  • By signing the GNA with Vineyard Wind, Nantucket withdrew from the important National Historic Preservation Act consulting process for these projects.
  • Vineyard Wind, New England Wind, and the other projects that are covered under the GNA will add approximately 350 turbines off Nantucket’s south shore beaches.
  • Given the partnership with Vineyard Wind, it’s difficult for Nantucket to challenge the mitigations for another project, SouthCoast Wind, which is not covered by the GNA.

The Nantucket GNA controversy should be carefully considered by other communities that are tempted by developer incentives to enter into agreements that may not be in their best long-term interest.

Will Nantucket exit (Nexit) the GNA? The pressure is building.

Good Neighbor Agreement (PDF)Download

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Extravagant wind lease bidding is looking even more nonsensical as power purchase agreements are terminated

Posted in climate, energy policy, Offshore Wind, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on September 20, 2023| Leave a Comment »

A BOE post from last December commented on the seemingly irrational bidding for Atlantic and Pacific wind leases. More recent posts have reported on the woes of Atlantic leaseholders.

Two Atlantic lessees, Commonwealth Wind and SouthCoast Wind, which paid $135 million for each of their North Atlantic leases, have now agreed to pay $48 million and $60 million respectively to cancel their power purchase agreements with electric utilities. Perhaps the effective date of these leases (see below) reflects on the wisdom of their purchase.🍋

Both Commonwealth Wind and SouthCoast Wind are hoping to rebid their projects in a Massachusetts offshore wind procurement scheduled for next year. 

Commonwealth Magazine

Some northeast states and their public utilities may be in a bit of a bind. Either they accept higher electric rates and the likely public backlash, or they deviate from their staunch anti-gas, anti-nuclear orthodoxy. Similarly, oil companies that have invested heavily in offshore wind may find that they are not just less profitable, but (even) less popular.

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