See original letter on Day Pitney letterhead at: https://fileservice.eea.comacloud.net/FileService.Api/file/FileRoom/19873862
ERIC K. RUNGE
Attorney at Law
Day Pitney, LLP
One Federal Street, 29th Floor
Boston, MA 02110
T: (617) 345-4735 F: (617) 206-9350
[email protected]
November 25, 2024
Via Electronic Filing
Robert Shea, Esq.
Presiding Officer
Energy Facilities Siting Board
One South Station, 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02110
RE: SouthCoast Wind Energy LLC, EFSB 21-03/D.P.U. 21-142/21-143
Dear Presiding Officer Shea:
Per your request, SouthCoast Wind Energy LLC (SouthCoast Wind) is continuing to provide updates to the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB or Board) approximately every forty-five days on the status of its transmission connector project interconnecting in the Town of Falmouth. SouthCoast Wind filed its most recent update on October 11, 2024.
As noted in previous update letters, BOEM is progressing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for the SouthCoast Wind Project. Most recently, BOEM completed its environmental review of the Project and issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on November 8, 2024 (which was published in the Federal Register on November 15, 2024). The Record of Decision for the Project is expected on or before December 20, 2024. BOEM also held its fifth and final Section 106 consultation meeting held on October 8, 2024, with key stakeholders such as Tribal representatives and State Historic Preservation Office representatives. On November 15, 2024, the U.S. EPA published its Draft Outer Continental Shelf Air Permit for the SouthCoast Wind Project.
As noted in the previous update letter, on September 6, 2024, after a rigorous selection process led by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources and Rhode Island Energy, Ocean Winds, a 50-50 joint venture owned by EDP Renewables and ENGIE, was selected to negotiate contracts to provide 1,087 MW of offshore wind power to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and 200 MW to the State of Rhode Island for its SouthCoast Wind project. On October 4, 2024, the EFSB issued a Final Decision approving with conditions the construction of the SouthCoast Wind 1 project for delivering 1,200 MW of clean renewable energy (approximately half of SouthCoast Wind’s potential wind capacity) to the New England regional grid at Brayton Point (Docket EFSB 22-04/D.P.U. 22-67/22-68). SouthCoast Wind has begun the next steps of negotiating contracts with Massachusetts’ and Rhode Island’s largest electric utilities. Project construction will commence once it has received all federal, state, and local permits, and pending final investment decision. Nevertheless, SouthCoast Wind continues to view Falmouth as a potential connection point to the regional electric grid for its remaining capacity.
SouthCoast Wind continues to work with ISO New England (ISO-NE) on the interconnection process. As noted in previous update letters, ISO-NE has completed the Project’s Feasibility Study. Per ISO-NE’s standard interconnection study process, the Project has moved to System Impact Study (SIS). ISO-NE is waiting for FERC approval of its Order 2023 compliance filing to transition to the new interconnection process. In the interim ISO-NE is also working to complete current SIS studies, however ISO-NE does not have enough time to start and complete the SouthCoast Wind’s SIS prior to transitioning to the new FERC Order 2023-compliant interconnection process. SouthCoast Wind is currently considering participating in the FERC Order 2023 Transitional Cluster Study which is expected to begin in Q1 2025.
SouthCoast Wind will continue to engage with the Town of Falmouth as updates occur that impact the Town and community members. Most recently, on October 12 and 13, 2024, SouthCoast Wind was the Title Sponsor for the fourth year of the SouthCoast Wind Cape Cod Marathon in Falmouth, MA. SouthCoast Wind will continue to provide these periodic status updates approximately every forty-five days, until such time as it makes an appropriate substantive filing. Please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned should you have any questions about the contents of this letter. Please include this letter in the EFSB and Department dockets listed above.
Sincerely,
Eric K. Runge