EPA New England advances three air permits for offshore wind farm projects | US EPA
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BOSTON (Dec. 19, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its issuance of draft Clean Air Act Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) air quality permits for Sunrise Wind, Park City Wind (NEW1) and Park City Wind (NEW2). The draft permits allow for construction to begin on these three offshore “wind development areas” located in federal waters. EPA is seeking public comment before draft permits are finalized.
EPA’s approval is in concert with other federal approvals for the project, including the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Record of Decision.
“When built, these projects will contribute 3 gigawatts of energy – powering 1.8 million homes and leaping toward the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of generating 30 gigawatts of clean, abundant energy from offshore wind by 2030,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “New England continues to lead the way to our clean energy future, growing clean tech jobs, and making sure our communities most overburdened by air pollution can breathe clean air and take advantage of green workforce development.”
The permits regulate pollutants from OCS sources during the construction phase – such as jack-up barges that will construct each wind turbine and the electrical service platforms. Additionally, emissions associated with air-emitting devices used during the operation of the windfarm, including generators used as a source of back-up electricity for space conditioning where sensitive electronics are housed, and for emission standards for all vessels used within 25 nautical miles of the projects are also regulated.
Public comment deadline is January 24, 2024 for Sunrise Wind, and January 25, 2024 for Park City Wind projects.
More information
Electronic copies of the permits, fact sheets, virtual public hearing information, and all supporting materials can be found on EPA’s website at: https://www.epa.gov/caa-permitting/caa-public-comment-opportunities-region-1
Clean Air Act Permitting by EPA: https://www.epa.gov/caa-permitting
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