The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Friday announced its approval of Ørsted’s construction and operations plan (COP) for the Sunrise Wind project, marking the final approval needed from the federal agency to move the project toward the start of offshore construction.
New York’s largest offshore wind project, the 924 MW Sunrise Wind project will to be located south of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., and east of Block Island, R.I.
The COP approval outlines the project’s one nautical mile wind turbine spacing, the requirements for the construction methodology for all work occurring in federal ocean waters, and mitigation measures to protect marine habitats and species.
The COP approval follows the BOEM’s issuance of its Record of Decision in March 2024, which concluded the thorough BOEM-led environmental review of the project.
Sunrise Wind recently finalized its agreements with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on the project’s 25-year offshore wind renewable energy certificate (OREC) contract.
The Sunrise Wind team will now accelerate work on the onshore transmission system, with offshore construction ramping up later this year at the project site approximately 30 miles (approximately 48 km) east of Montauk, New York. The project is expected to be operational in 2026.
"Sunrise Wind is a centerpiece of New York’s clean energy vision, and with this final federal approval, we can officially put the construction phase in motion," said David Hardy, Executive Vice President and CEO of Region Americas at Ørsted. "BOEM’s approval is an important milestone not just for New York but also for America’s domestic energy sector.”
"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."