TRC Companies, Inc. (TRC) has completed the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) prepared for the US Minerals Management Service (MMS) for the first proposed offshore wind energy project in the US. The release of the FEIS moves the Cape Wind Project, a proposed 130 turbine wind farm off the shore in Nantucket Sound, Massachusetts, closer to federal approval. The project would generate a maximum of 454 MW of electricity, enough to generate an equivalent of 75% of Cape Cod’s power needs.
TRC assisted in the preparation of the 2,800-page FEIS, detailing potential impacts the wind farm would have on more than 25 environmental and societal resources including historical and cultural life, marine life, birds, navigation and tourism. The impact statement provides detailed descriptions of the proposed action, including construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning plans; existing environmental characteristics of the project area; potential impacts of the project; locations and descriptions of the alternatives considered; and analysis of cumulative impacts. The FEIS ends with a presentation of the impact avoidance, minimization and mitigation measures considered for the project. The MMS is responsible for reviewing the impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act to assess potential impacts and consider alternatives.
TRC is an award-winning leader in energy efficiency projects and strategies, operating at the intersection of economic development and environmental integrity, said TRC chairman and chief executive officer Chris Vincze. We will continue to play a vital role as the U.S. seeks a balanced approach to fulfilling its energy needs and we are committed to supporting both conventional and alternative energy initiatives.
As the first offshore wind energy project in the U.S., the results of the FEIS move this project closer to completion, said Jim Gordon, president of Cape Wind. The results of this report validate that this project is a step in the right direction for Massachusetts.