Federal regulators released draft environmental impact statements in mid-December for two more east coast offshore wind energy projects—including one that is set to be both the largest in the U.S. and the first to be utility-owned, and which also gained a key state approval related to development cost risks.
The U.S. Interior Dept said the initial environmental reviews of the 2.6-GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project to be built off Virginia Beach and the 1-GW Sunrise Wind project off the Long Island, NY coast—which assess their submitted construction and operations plans—were published in the Federal Register on Dec. 16 with a 60-day comment. The department said the Virginia project, being developed by utility firm Dominion Energy, could gain a record of decision by June, with Sunrise potentially getting its final okay by next August.