The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has just cleared the way for Deepwater Wind’s proposed 8 nautical mile, 200 ft. wide corridor transmission project off the shores of Rhode Island.
The system will transmit power from a proposed Block Island Wind Farm to the coast of Rhode Island. It will be situated about 2.5 nautical miles southeast of Block Island and will use the connection to supply Rhode Island with power.
The Block Island Farm it would connect to will be comprised of 5 turbines for a total capacity of 30 megawatts, and Deepwater indicated that overall, the facility will generate in excess of 100 GWh a year. That’s enough to meet most of Block Island’s power needs.
The connection will also carry power from an onshore grid to Block Island.
North American Wind Power reports:
“Today’s announcement further solidifies our plan to bring reliable renewable energy to the residents of Block Island and the rest of the state of Rhode Island,” says Deepwater Wind CEO William Moore. “This is just the latest milestone for a path-breaking project that will jump-start the East Coast offshore wind industry.”
BOEM’s task was to decide whether Deepwater’s proposal met with any competitive interest from other developers. Ultimately, it concluded that Deepwater did not conflict with any other developers’ plans, so the project can now move forward.
