Avangrid receives key approval for proposed New England Wind project

Avangrid received the federal record of decision (ROD) from the Department of the Interior (DOI) for its proposed New England Wind offshore wind project.

The ROD represents a significant permitting milestone that brings the project closer to fruition.  The ROD comes after years of stakeholder engagement with Tribal Nations, members of local residential and fishing communities, and other ocean users.

“The Record of Decision issued by the Biden Administration today represents a historic step toward the future of offshore wind in the United States,” Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra said. “The Biden Administration, Secretary Haaland, and BOEM all deserve immense credit for their thorough and rigorous review of New England Wind, as well as their decisive action to move the nation’s clean energy and climate goals forward. With this federal approval, New England Wind stands apart as the most advanced and shovel-ready offshore wind opportunity in the Northeast region.”

New England Wind consists of the New England Wind 1 and New England Wind 2 projects – and has the potential to power nearly 1 million homes and businesses in the region.

“The Biden-Harris administration has built an offshore wind industry from the ground up after years of delay from the previous administration. Today, we celebrate the incredible progress being made toward achieving our goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030,” DOI Secretary Deb Haaland said. “The New England Wind project will help lower consumer costs, combat climate change, create jobs to support families, and ensure economic opportunities are accessible to all communities.”

On March 27, Avangrid submitted multiple proposals for the New England Wind projects to the Massachusetts-Rhode Island-Connecticut Multi-State Procurement for Offshore Wind. The states are anticipated to announce selected projects from the competitive procurement in August 2024.

“With the approval of the New England Wind project, we have now approved more than 10 gigawatts of offshore wind projects in under three years,” Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Elizabeth Klein said. “BOEM is proud of our open communication and frequent collaboration with federal partners, Tribal Nations, states, industry, and ocean users to shape project reviews and avoid or minimize conflict with existing users and marine life.”

The next step for Avangrid is the Construction and Operations Plan (COP), which should be approved in July 2024.

New England Wind 1 is slated to be built roughly 30 miles south of Barnstable, Mass. If the project is selected, it can begin construction as soon as next year.