Wind

Exiting Biden launches environmental review of CIP's New York Bight offshore wind project

Danish developer's US subsidiary Vineyard Offshore has pitched 1.3GW of the array as Excelsior Wind into New York's latest tender

Elizabeth Klein, director of Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
Elizabeth Klein, director of Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).Photo: BOEM
US Offshore Wind Editor, Recharge

In one of the last likely moves in offshore wind by outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration, federal regulators initiated the environmental review of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP)’s Vineyard Mid-Atlantic project in the New York Bight.

CIP’s US subsidiary Vineyard Offshore has bid 1.3GW of the total 2GW proposed to BOEM into New York’s Round 5 (NY5) as Excelsior Wind.

“Our environmental reviews are essential for helping us identify, evaluate, and address the possible impacts of our renewable energy efforts on other uses of the offshore environment and marine ecosystems,” said Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) director Elizabeth Klein.

BOEM regulates federal coastal energy development in the US under the Department of the Interior.

CIP purchased the 43,000-acre (174 sq. km) lease east of Equinor’s Empire projects in 2022’s blockbuster auction for a relative steal at $285m, some $6,619/acre, the lowest price paid in the round overall and per acre.

The lease is located around 20 miles (32 km) south of Long Island, New York, and 36 miles east of New Jersey. The project's construction and operations plan include up to 117 wind turbines, enough to power more than 700,000 homes, with two export cables that would make landfall at Rockaway Beach, Atlantic Beach, or Jones Beach, New York.

Excelsior Wind had previously been contracted in New York’s ill-fated Round 3 that saw 4GW of capacity voided after GE Vernova scrapped plans for an 18MW turbine that all three projects had relied on.
The Notice of Intent (NOI) to begin the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project will be published in the Federal Register, the nation’s journal of record, 15 January, initiating a 45-day public comment period.

The NOI comes less than a week before vehement sector critic Donald Trump is inaugurated as US president.

Trump has vowed to stop offshore wind development “on day one” of his second term, with New Jersey congressman Jeff Van Drew claiming he has already written the executive order calling for a 6-month moratorium on sector activities on behalf of the incoming administration.

“President Trump is committed to stopping these harmful projects and is taking decisive action,” Van Drew said in a press statement.

This is the 14th EIS initiated under the Biden administration, which has resulted in 12 project approvals totalling nearly 20GW.

One project, Orsted’s 132MW South Fork array to New York, has been completed, while three others are in construction.

These include the 800MW Vineyard Wind to Massachusetts owned in a joint venture by CIP with Iberdrola-controlled Avangrid.

Orsted’s 704MW Revolution Wind split between Connecticut and Rhode Island, as well as Dominion Energy’s 2.6GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, are also in offshore installation.

Industry experts expect that capacity already being installed would largely be immune from a Trump moratorium, but it remains unclear how it would affect projects that haven't started construction.

A moratorium could also have cascading effects for future projects and lease sales as well as supply chain investment.

(Copyright)

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Published 14 January 2025, 23:26Updated 14 January 2025, 23:26
AmericasUSNew YorkBOEMCopenhagen Infrastructure Partners