Offshore

BOEM issues its final approval for Sunrise Wind offshore wind project

BOEM issues its final approval for Sunrise Wind offshore wind project
New York's Sunrise Wind project will be the first offshore wind farm in the U.S. to be connected to the grid using a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system. (Courtesy: Siemens Energy)

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced its approval of Sunrise Wind’s plan for construction and operations – the project’s final approval from BOEM, following the Department of the Interior’s March 2024 Record of Decision on the project.  

“BOEM’s approval of the Sunrise Wind project represents another step in building a thriving offshore wind energy industry,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “The Biden-Harris administration continues to demonstrate its commitment to advancing responsible projects like Sunrise Wind as part of our strategy to foster good paying jobs for local communities, ignite economic development, and fight the harmful effects of climate change.”  

The Sunrise Wind project — to be located south of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and east of Block Island, Rhode Island — will have a total capacity of 924 MW.

BOEM said it received feedback on the project’s potential environmental impacts through government-to-government consultations with Tribes, input from federal, state, and local agencies, and from public meetings and comments.  

In early 2024, Eversource announced it executed a definitive agreement to sell its 50% ownership share in South Fork Wind and Revolution Wind to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), following increased costs and economic uncertainty across the offshore wind industry.

Eversource had previously said during Q3 2023 it identified “certain impacts” like increased construction costs and economic uncertainty that would require further adjustment to the carrying value of its offshore wind investments for the projects.

After New York conditionally awarded two offshore wind projects from its fourth offshore wind solicitation – Sunrise Wind, and a planned 810 MW project, Empire Wind 1, developed by Equinor. With this successful re-bid, Ørsted acquired Eversource’s 50% ownership share in Sunrise Wind, moved to become the sole owner of Sunrise Wind, subject to the signing of an OREC contract with NYSERDA, finalization of acquisition agreements, receipt of the federal construction and operations plan, and relevant regulatory approvals. Eversource will remain contracted to lead the project’s onshore construction.