Avangrid has secured the Federal Record of Decision (ROD) from the Department of the Interior regarding the New England Wind project. This decision marks progress towards obtaining full federal approval for construction, with the anticipated approval of the Construction and Operations Plan by July 2024.
The ROD follows extensive analysis conducted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on the potential environmental impacts of Avangrid’s construction, operation, and conceptual decommissioning plans. New England Wind, comprising the New England Wind 1 and New England Wind 2 projects, has the potential to 2 GW of renewable energy for the region.
Iberdrola is the parent company of Avangrid, which is involved in both network operations and renewable energy generation. Through its networks business, it owns and manages eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving over 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Additionally, through its renewables business, the company operates a diverse portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities throughout the United States.
REGlobal’s Views: This is welcome news for the US offshore wind industry which has witnessed some slowdown in the past months owing to rise in capital costs, supply chain issues, and exit of some major energy players for large offshore wind projects. The country is targeting 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and this project is an important step in the direction.
