US Wind has marked a significant milestone with the release of the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for its offshore wind project off the coast of Maryland. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released the EIS on Monday, moving the project closer to realization.
The proposed project includes the installation of up to 114 turbines, four offshore substation platforms, a meteorological tower, and up to four corridors for offshore export cables, which would make landfall in Delaware Seashore State Park. The development is planned in three phases, with MarWin and Momentum Wind already having received offshore renewable energy certificates from the State of Maryland.
“We applaud BOEM for the comprehensive and thorough review of our federal permit application,” said US Wind Chief Executive Jeff Grybowski. “We are now one step closer to securing all of our federal permits by the end of this year, and look forward to the day we can get steel in the water.”
If approved, the project will have a capacity of between 1.1GW and 2.2GW. The next step involves BOEM issuing its Record of Decision on US Wind's construction and operations plan, expected in September.
BOEM held three public scoping meetings in June 2022 to gather public input on the environmental review process. In October 2023, the agency hosted two in-person and two virtual public meetings to collect feedback on the draft EIS from Tribal Nations, local community members, commercial fishing interests, and other ocean users.
