Overview
Regional Plan Association (RPA) strongly supports the process to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for the Construction and Operations Plan produced by Vineyard Mid-Atlantic, LLC. RPA has signed onto scoping comments developed by National Wildlife Federation that provide recommendations on key legal and environmental factors that must be considered to ensure the Vineyard Mid-Atlantic Project is developed in a manner that safeguards wildlife, habitats, and ocean users while delivering clean, low emissions, and reliable energy as BOEM drafts a DEIS.
In addition to those comments, RPA respectfully submits the following comments on the importance of offshore wind projects, such as Vineyard Mid-Atlantic, to our region:
Offshore Wind is Critical to Meet the Pressing Demand for Domestic Energy
The New York metropolitan region is at the heart of a major US demand center whose electricity needs are only forecast to grow as population and development increase and greater reliance on technology, including shifts to automobile- and building- electrification, demands more of our grid.
Given the rising demand for electricity, New York - and the United States itself - are in dire need of additional sources of energy. Offshore wind energy is one such source and can be produced domestically. The ocean waters beyond our region’s coast are a particularly optimal location to support offshore wind, thanks to high wind speeds and a large buildable section of the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), a wide and shallow portion of bedrock that extends out into the ocean. All that is needed is the ability to harness that energy, through the construction of offshore wind projects. The electricity generated from this project alone is enough to power 700,000 New York homes.
Without adding additional sources of energy like offshore wind, our region faces an uncertain future of rate shifts and potential shortages in energy supply.
Offshore Wind Builds a New Industry that Creates Good Jobs and Stimulates the Economy
In addition to meeting surging energy demands, the development of offshore wind in our region - and the nation overall - represents a tremendous opportunity to spur the growth of a new industry with good-paying jobs for the American worker. The Vineyard Mid-Atlantic Project is expected to create thousands of jobs in New York State, with the majority being manufacturing and construction jobs, putting skilled workers to work. The project also expects to deliver nearly $3 billion in direct economic benefits to small businesses and communities throughout New York and the greater region. Economic benefits are not exclusive to New York, however, as many offshore wind components, including vessels, are built throughout the country in states including Texas, Louisiana, and Kentucky.
Offshore Wind Delivers Community Benefits
Developing offshore wind projects, such as the Vineyard Mid-Atlantic Project, not only provides affordable and reliable energy at a time of increasing demand, while spurring a new industry with good-paying jobs and economic investment, it also provides a wealth of other benefits directly to American communities. The transmission projects and upgrades associated with offshore wind will serve to facilitate a more reliable and resilient energy system that leads to cost savings for consumers in the long run. Additionally, developers of offshore wind projects work closely with municipalities and local communities to invest directly into education, infrastructure, and desired community projects, particularly in those communities that host the transmission infrastructure necessary for offshore wind projects to connect to the energy grid.
Given the need for additional energy produced domestically as well as the opportunity for economic and community benefits, RPA strongly supports the process to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for the Construction and Operations Plan produced by Vineyard Mid-Atlantic, LLC, and hopes to see this process proceed to the next step.
