January 10, 2018
Massachusetts

State examines plan for undersea cables for Vineyard Wind

Jan 9, 2018 | www.southcoasttoday.com

NEW BEDFORD – State review of proposed electrical transmission lines for Vineyard Wind began Monday.

Power cables buried in the seabed would connect the proposed offshore wind farm to the shore across Nantucket Sound.

A Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act review started Monday with meetings in Boston and Hyannis and a site visit to Barnstable and Yarmouth.

The state is looking for information about potential effects of the installation and maintenance of cables. Potentially affected parties include fishermen who fish for species that live at or near the seabed, including shellfish and conch, according to the meeting notice.

The MEPA office is accepting public comments through Jan. 16.

Vineyard Wind is one of three developers seeking to build a utility-scale wind farm off Massachusetts. The project would be located about 14 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, and construction could begin in 2019.

“Vineyard Wind’s accelerated timeline positions the project to become the first commercial large-scale offshore wind farm in the United States, which will soon deliver significant economic development and clean energy benefits to residents and businesses in the Commonwealth,” the company said in a press release.

Power would be connected to the grid at an existing substation in an industrial park in Barnstable. Vineyard Wind has indicated that the cables will be buried for their entire length.

— Jennette Barnes

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/01/10/state-examines-plan-for-undersea-cables-for-vineyard-wind/