The US Department of the Interior, via the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), has confirmed the availability of its final environmental impact statement (EIS) for a proposed wind project offshore Maryland.
BOEM has now completed environmental reviews for ten commercial-scale offshore wind projects since the start of 2021. If approved, this project could generate between 1,100 and 2,200 MW of clean, renewable energy for the Delmarva Peninsula, and power up to 770,000 homes.
BOEM held three public scoping meetings in June 2022 to solicit public input on the environmental review process, and hosted two in-person and two virtual public meetings in October 2023 to gather feedback on a draft of the EIS from Tribal Nations, local community members, commercial fishing interests, and other ocean users.
If approved, the project proposes to install up to 114 turbines, up to four offshore substation platforms, one meteorological tower, and up to four corridors for offshore export cables, which would make landfall in Delaware Seashore State Park. The lease area is approximately 8.7 nautical miles offshore Maryland and approximately nine nautical miles offshore Sussex County, Delaware, at its closest points to shore.