Massachusetts has granted approval for Ocean Winds' 1287MW SouthCoast Wind 1 project, allowing for the construction and operation of onshore transmission facilities at Brayton Point in Somerset.
The state's Department of Environmental Protection also issued a license for nearshore equipment and work related to the project, while the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management completed the project's Federal Consistency Review.
These approvals position the SouthCoast Wind 1 project to deliver energy to the grid by 2030. Jennifer Flood, Head of Permitting for SouthCoast Wind and Ocean Winds North America, expressed gratitude for the Commonwealth's thorough review, stating, “These important permitting milestones bring our project closer to construction. We are grateful to the Commonwealth's thorough review and look forward to providing clean power, good jobs, and economic growth to the region.”
The project's lease area is situated in federal waters, approximately 23 miles south of Nantucket, with the proposed cable route traversing both federal and Massachusetts state waters, the Sakonnet River in Rhode Island, parts of Portsmouth, RI, and into Mt. Hope Bay. Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2025.
