The Oceantic Network, the leading organization working to advance offshore wind and other ocean renewable industries and their supply chains, celebrates today’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announcement that member-company Avangrid is approved to begin construction on the New England Wind offshore wind project. This morning, BOEM issued its final Record of Decision (ROD) authorizing construction of up to 2,600 MW of offshore wind power generation. With today’s announcement, the federal government has now approved construction of eight commercial projects with a capacity between 10.2 GW and 11.3 GW.

Today’s announcement comes on the heels of several advancements by BOEM in recent weeks, including an ROD last week for the Sunrise Wind project, commencement of environmental reviews for the Vineyard Northeast and Atlantic Shores North projects, designation of a final wind energy area in the Gulf of Maine, and proposal of a new offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico. In the wake of this industry momentum, Oceantic Network’s 2024 International Partnering Forum will facilitate continued progress later this month by bringing together industry leaders, government officials, and key stakeholders to chart a course for offshore wind’s future.

The following statement can be attributed to Liz Burdock, founder and CEO of Oceantic Network:

“BOEM is crushing it. New England Wind now joins seven previous projects approved for construction surpassing 10 GW in capacity. With the first projects nearing completion, two set to begin major construction this summer, and more following in quick succession,, a consistent construction pipeline is fostering the industry's growth, creating opportunities for U.S. businesses to thrive and workers to develop critical skills.”