The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has approved Avangrid’s New England Wind Construction and Operations Plan (COP), enabling the construction and operation of two offshore wind energy facilities, New England Wind 1 and New England Wind 2. This authorization follows the agency’s Record of Decision in April 2024.

The New England Wind projects, situated approximately 20 nautical miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and 24 nautical miles southwest of Nantucket, Massachusetts, will have a combined capacity of up to 2,600 megawatts, sufficient to power over 900,000 homes annually. The COP includes up to 129 wind turbine generators, five electric service platforms, and five offshore export cables that will connect to onshore transmission systems in Barnstable and Bristol County, Massachusetts.

New England Wind 1 is fully permitted and scheduled to commence construction in 2025, with power delivery expected by 2029. It will be positioned south of Avangrid’s Vineyard Wind 1 project, which is currently under construction and supplying electricity to 64,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts.

BOEM integrated input from Tribes, government agencies, ocean users, and other stakeholders to mitigate potential impacts on marine life and ocean usages like fishing. The approval aligns with the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to expanding offshore wind energy to create jobs, drive economic growth, and reduce climate pollution.

Since taking office, the Biden-Harris administration has greenlit eight commercial-scale offshore wind projects and conducted four offshore wind lease sales. The Department of the Interior plans to conduct up to 12 additional lease sales by 2028, continuing support for union-built projects and a domestic supply chain.