A massive stretch of water 14 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard will be home to the nation’s largest offshore area for wind energy commercial development.
The announcement by state and federal officials was made on Tuesday and means that more than 742,000 acres off of the Massachusetts coast are now available for wind energy commercial development. The proposed area is the largest in the nation and nearly doublesthe federal offshore acreage available for commercial-scale wind energy projects.
“Through sound science and true collaboration, we have identified an area best suited for offshore wind development that seeks to minimize conflicts with other important ocean uses,”U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said in a statement.
The land will be competitively leased to companies seeking to develop wind turbines in the federal waters off of the Massachusetts coast. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will auction the area off as four leases.
Tuesday’s announcement of a Proposed Sale Notice triggers a 60-day public comment period. The end of the period also serves as the deadline for any companies wishing to participate in the lease sale, according to officials.
Officials did not say in their announcement how many wind turbines are expected to be built in the area.
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