Environmental review to proceed for Kitty Hawk North, the first project located within the company’s offshore wind lease area off Virginia and North Carolina
Avangrid Renewables’ Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind Project advances in BOEM permitting process. (Credit: JackieLou DL from Pixabay)
Avangrid Renewables LLC, a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), today confirmed that the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for Kitty Hawk North, the first project within the company’s Kitty Hawk Wind Energy Area (WEA). The NOI initiates a 30-day public comment period to define the scope of the EIS, the major permitting study required for project approval.
“Kitty Hawk builds on our successful development of over 1,600 megawatts of offshore wind projects in New England,” said Alejandro de Hoz, President and CEO of Avangrid Renewables. “Kitty Hawk can transform the energy mix of Virginia and North Carolina while delivering a triple-win for the environment, coastal communities and the region’s economy. We look forward to continuing our work with state and local leaders, BOEM, and communities to begin the formal environmental review and ultimately deliver this transformational project.”
Kitty Hawk North consists of nearly 50,000 acres located over 27 miles off the coast of the Outer Banks, due east of Corolla, N.C., with a capacity of at least 800 megawatts (MW). When the entire 122,405 acre Kitty Hawk WEA is developed, it is expected to support a total generation capacity of up to 2,500 MW – enough to power 700,000 homes with clean energy.
“Kitty Hawk North is a game changer for the mid-Atlantic,” said Bill White, head of offshore wind for Avangrid Renewables. “Not only can this project help Virginia and North Carolina meet their vital clean energy goals with cost-effective power, but Kitty Hawk will help a new industry take flight in this region and create thousands of quality jobs.”
Kitty Hawk North is an historic project for Virginia and North Carolina as it can:
- Support ambitious clean energy targets such as those included in the Virginia Clean Economy Act (5,200 MW) and Governor Cooper’s Executive Order establishing offshore wind targets (8,000 MW) for North Carolina;
- Generate an estimated $2 billion of economic impact between 2021 and 2030 in Virginia and North Carolina; and,
- Create or support nearly a thousand annual jobs in Virginia and North Carolina both through construction and once the project is operational.
Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind has established a local office, located at 249 Central Park Avenue in Virginia Beach, to support ongoing project development, community outreach and workforce development activities.
Source: Company Press Release