In addition to interagency delays in developing project alternatives in June 2022, the project sponsor presented new project information in February 2023, to BOEM, NOAA, and USACE. The change in design for feasible wind turbine generator (WTG) locations involved removing 22 WTGs for the project due to glauconite sands present within the Lease Area. This change required additional analysis by BOEM for a new constructible preferred alternative that needed to be added to FEIS. The project design changed the impacts analysis for consultations.
Milestones:
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Monthly Status Report for February 2024:BOEM is currently finalizing the Record of Decision document and is on track to meet the milestone date of March 22, 2024.
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Monthly Status Report for January 2024:The FEIS published on Dec 15, 2023. For the subsequent milestone (the Record of Decision, ROD), BOEM anticipates issuing the ROD on March 22, 2024 which is in alignment with the updated permitting timetable provided to the Permitting Council as part of an Executive Director Determination request in January of 2024.
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Monthly Status Report for December 2023:The FEIS published on Dec 15, 2023. For the subsequent milestone (the Record of Decision), BOEM is undertaking a review of the permitting timetable for this project with the cooperating agencies and in consultation with the project sponsor. The review encompasses all agency actions and milestone dates for the project, including this action. BOEM anticipates providing by the end of December to the Permitting Council an updated time table for all actions, including this milestone.
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Monthly Status Report for November 2023:FEIS experiencing delay due to issues relating to Section 106. BOEM is addressing challenges related to sensitivities associated with onshore activities.
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Non-conformance Explanation:FEIS experiencing delay due to issues relating to Section 106. BOEM is addressing challenges related to sensitivities associated with onshore activities.
PROJECT WEBSITE: https://www.boem.gov/Sunrise-Wind
All dates below are specific to the schedule of the Environmental Review and Permitting processes for this project.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING STATUS
IN PROGRESS
ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING
06/21/2024
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING PROCESSES
COMPLETED
SECTOR
Renewable Energy Production
CATEGORY
Project Category
FAST-41 Covered Projects
LEAD AGENCY
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
View FAST-41 Postings by Agencies
Other Agencies with Actions or Authorizations:
Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service
Environmental Protection Agency
Department of the Army, US Army Corps of Engineers - Regulatory
Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Department of the Army, US Army Corps of Engineers - Civil Works
Description:
Sunrise Wind LLC (Sunrise Wind) proposes to construct, operate and maintain an offshore wind farm to be located approximately 18.5 statute miles (mi) (16.1 nautical miles [nm], 29.8 kilometers [km]) south of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and approximately 30 mi (26.1 nm, 48.2 km) east of Montauk, New York (NY). The majority of the Project would be located in federal waters in the designated Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Renewable Energy Lease Area OCS-A 0487 (Lease Area), which is located in OCS blocks that were previously designated as Lease OCS-A 0487 in the Rhode Island/Massachusetts Wind Energy Area (RI-MA WEA) and Lease OCS-A 0500 in the Massachusetts Wind Energy Area (MA WEA). The Lease Area is approximately 30 statute miles (mi) east off the coast of Montauk, New York. Other components of the Project would be located in state waters of New York and onshore in Brookhaven, Long Island, New York. The proposed interconnection location for the Project is either the existing Holbrook Substation or the Holbrook and West Bus Substations, which are owned and operated by the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA).
Update:
The Executive Director granted a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management request to extend the Construction and Operations Plan completion date because the previous completion date was entered in error. The Executive Director determination is posted here.
Original Target Date: 07/21/2023
Milestone: Issuance of Lead Agency Record of Decision (Agency Action)
Requested extensions greater than 30 days for this Action are shown below:
Issuance of Lead Agency Record of Decision (Agency Action) extended by 136
From: 08/17/2023
To: 12/04/2023