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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 221 (Friday, November 15, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 90316-90317]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-26657]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2024-0055]

Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement 
for SouthCoast Wind Energy LLC's Proposed SouthCoast Wind Energy 
Project Offshore Massachusetts and Rhode Island

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; final environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the 
availability of the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for 
SouthCoast Wind Energy LLC's (SouthCoast Wind) construction and 
operations plan (COP) for its proposed SouthCoast Wind Project 
(Project) offshore Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The FEIS analyzes 
the potential environmental impacts of the Project as described in the 
COP (the proposed action) and the alternatives to the proposed action, 
including the no action alternative. The FEIS will inform BOEM's 
decision whether to approve, approve with conditions, or disapprove the 
COP.

ADDRESSES: The FEIS and detailed information about the Project, 
including the COP, can be found on BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/southcoast-wind-formerly-mayflower-wind.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Genevieve Brune, BOEM Office of 
Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 
20166, (703) 787-1553 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Proposed Action: SouthCoast Wind seeks approval to construct, 
operate, and maintain a wind energy facility and its associated export 
cables on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore Massachusetts and 
Rhode Island. The Project would be developed within the range of design 
parameters outlined in the SouthCoast Wind COP, subject to the 
applicable mitigation measures.
    The Project would be located about 26 nautical miles (nm) (48 
kilometers) south of Martha's Vineyard and 20 nm (37 kilometers) south 
of Nantucket in the area defined in BOEM's renewable energy lease 
number OCS-A 0521 (Lease Area). The Lease Area covers approximately 
127,388 acres. The Project would be developed in two parts or projects: 
Project 1 refers to the

[[Page 90317]]

development in the northern portion of the Lease Area and associated 
interconnection, and Project 2 refers to the development in the 
southern portion of the Lease Area and associated interconnection. The 
Project would consist of up to 149 positions in the Lease Area to be 
occupied by up to 147 wind turbine generators and up to five offshore 
substation platforms (OSPs). The 149 positions will conform to a 1 nm x 
1 nm grid layout with an east-west and north-south orientation, which 
lessees agreed would apply across all the Massachusetts and Rhode 
Island wind energy areas. The Project would include one preferred 
export cable corridor making landfall and interconnecting to the ISO 
New England Inc. (ISO-NE) grid at Brayton Point, in Somerset, 
Massachusetts. This preferred export cable corridor to Brayton Point 
would be used for both Project 1 and Project 2. The Project would also 
include one variant export cable corridor, which, if used, would make 
landfall and interconnect to the ISO-NE grid in the town of Falmouth, 
Massachusetts. In the event that technical, logistical, grid 
interconnection, or other unforeseen challenges arise during the design 
and engineering phase that prevent Project 2 from making 
interconnection at Brayton Point, Project 2 would use the Falmouth 
variant export cable corridor.
    Alternatives: BOEM considered 17 alternatives when preparing the 
draft environmental impact statement and carried forward six 
alternatives for further analysis in the FEIS. These six alternatives 
include five action alternatives and the no action alternative. Eleven 
alternatives were not analyzed in detail, which are presented in FEIS 
chapter 2, because they did not meet the purpose and need for the 
proposed action or did not meet screening criteria. The screening 
criteria included consistency with law and regulations, technical and 
economic feasibility, environmental impacts, and geographic 
considerations.
    Availability of the FEIS: The FEIS, SouthCoast Wind COP, and 
associated information are available on BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/southcoast-wind-formerly-mayflower-wind. BOEM has distributed digital copies of the 
FEIS to all parties listed in FEIS Appendix M. If you require a flash 
drive or paper copy, BOEM will provide one upon request, as long as 
supplies are available. You may request a flash drive or paper copy of 
the FEIS by contacting Genevieve Brune at (703) 787-1553 or 
[email protected].
    Cooperating Agencies: The following Federal agencies and State 
governmental entities participated as cooperating agencies under the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in the preparation of the 
FEIS: Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement; U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency; National Marine Fisheries Service; 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Coast Guard; New York Department of 
State; Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management; and the Rhode 
Island Coastal Resources Management Council.
    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq. (NEPA, as amended) and 40 CFR 
1506.6.

Karen Baker,
Chief, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management.
[FR Doc. 2024-26657 Filed 11-14-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P
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