SWCA Led NEPA on the First Major U.S. Offshore Wind Farm to Deliver Power

New York’s South Fork Wind recently became the first utility-scale offshore wind farm in federal waters to deliver power to the U.S. As the third-party National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) consultant, SWCA led the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) to help make this proposed project a reality.

Located more than 30 miles off the coast of New York, the project has constructed two of the 12 turbines so far. Once complete, South Fork Wind will generate approximately 130 megawatts of clean energy, enough to power 70,000 homes and meet the energy needs of East Hampton, Long Island.

SWCA began assisting the Bureau of Ocean Management with the NEPA process on the South Fork Wind project in 2018. SWCA provided agency coordination, facilitated public meetings, supported Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Action and Section 7 of the Environmental Species Act consultation, and prepared the draft and final EIS.

SWCA’s multidisciplinary team involved specialists in air quality, water resources, environmental species, visual resources, and public involvement and stakeholder engagement.

“Our team was flexible and adaptable amidst an evolving regulatory landscape and tight timelines throughout this project,” said Sue Wilmot, senior environmental planner and project manager at SWCA. “We had an amazing group of leaders and subject matter experts, including subcontractors, who made a point of ensuring high quality analysis. As South Fork Wind now leads the country as the first utility-scale offshore wind farm to successfully deliver power, that quality has proven to hold up.”

Image source: South Fork Wind