BOEM to start environmental review of Empire Wind offshore wind projects

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a Construction and Operations Plan (COP) submitted by Empire Wind, LLC, a joint venture between BP and Equinor.

If approved, Empire Wind would be allowed to construct and operate two wind energy facilities consisting of up to 174 turbines offshore New York and New Jersey, thereby generating over 2,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity. During development and construction, Empire Wind would generate an average of 880 jobs from 2019-2027, with a peak of almost 2,400 jobs in approximately 2025. During operations and maintenance, Empire Wind would support about 300 long-term jobs.

BOEM’s scoping process is intended to identify what should be considered in the EIS for each project. Throughout the scoping process, there will be multiple opportunities to help BOEM determine the important resources and issues, potential impacts to the environment, reasonable alternatives, and potential mitigating measures to be analyzed in the EIS.