Notice2023-21337
Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project, Offshore Virginia
Primary source
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Published
September 29, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentOcean Energy Management Bureau
Abstract
BOEM announces the availability of the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for the construction and operations plan (COP) submitted by Virginia Electric and Power Company (dba Dominion Energy) for the proposed Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project (Project), offshore Virginia Beach, Virginia. The FEIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the Project as described in the COP (the proposed action) and the alternatives to the proposed action, including the no action alternative. The FEIS will inform BOEM's decision whether to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove the COP.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 188 (Friday, September 29, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 188 (Friday, September 29, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 67359]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21337]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM-2023-0047]
Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement
for the Proposed Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project,
Offshore Virginia
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; final environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: BOEM announces the availability of the final environmental
impact statement (FEIS) for the construction and operations plan (COP)
submitted by Virginia Electric and Power Company (dba Dominion Energy)
for the proposed Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project
(Project), offshore Virginia Beach, Virginia. The FEIS analyzes the
potential environmental impacts of the Project as described in the COP
(the proposed action) and the alternatives to the proposed action,
including the no action alternative. The FEIS will inform BOEM's
decision whether to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove
the COP.
ADDRESSES: The FEIS and detailed information about the Project,
including the COP, can be found on BOEM's website at: <a href="https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/CVOW-C">https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/CVOW-C</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Stromberg, BOEM Office of
Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia
20166, (703) 787-1730 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#375d5244445e545619444345585a55524550775558525a19505841"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d8b2bdababb1bbb9f6abacaab7b5babdaabf98bab7bdb5f6bfb7ae">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Action: Dominion Energy seeks approval to construct,
operate, and maintain the Project: a wind energy facility and the
associated export cables on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore
Virginia. The Project would be developed within the range of design
parameters outlined in the COP, subject to applicable mitigation
measures.
The Project as proposed in the COP would include up to 202 wind
turbine generators (WTGs); up to three offshore, high voltage,
alternating current substations; inter-array cables linking the
individual turbines to the offshore substations; substation
interconnector cables linking the substations to each other; offshore
export cables; an onshore export cable system; an onshore switching
station north of Harpers Road (Harpers Switching Station) or north of
Princess Anne Road (Chicory Switching Station) in Virginia Beach,
Virginia; and an overhead power line connection to the existing
electrical grid at the Fentress Substation in Chesapeake, Virginia.
The WTGs, offshore substations, inter-array cables, and substation
interconnector cables would be located on the OCS approximately 24
nautical miles (27 statute miles) east of Virginia Beach, Virginia,
within the area defined by Renewable Energy Lease OCS-A-0483. The
offshore export cables would be buried below the seabed surface in the
OCS and Commonwealth of Virginia-owned submerged lands. The onshore
export cables, substations, and grid connections would be located in
Princess Anne County, Virginia.
Alternatives: BOEM considered a reasonable range of alternatives
when preparing the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) and
carried forward the no action alternative and four action alternatives
for further analysis in the DEIS and FEIS. Action alternatives A, B, C,
and D (includes on-shore sub-alternatives D1 and D2) are analyzed in
the FEIS. Three alternatives and four on-shore sub-alternatives were
eliminated from detailed analysis because they did not meet the purpose
and need for the proposed action or did not meet the screening
criteria, which are presented in appendix C of the FEIS. The screening
criteria included consistency with law and regulations, technical and
economic feasibility, environmental impact, and geographic
considerations.
Availability of the FEIS: The FEIS, COP, and associated information
are available on BOEM's website at: <a href="https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/CVOW-C">https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/CVOW-C</a>.
BOEM has distributed digital copies of the FEIS to all parties
listed in appendix K of the FEIS. If you would like a digital copy of
the FEIS on a flash drive or a paper copy, BOEM will provide one upon
request, as long as copies are available. You may request a flash drive
or paper copy of the FEIS by contacting Lisa Landers at (703) 787-1520
or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#92fefbe1f3bcfef3fcf6f7e0e1d2f0fdf7ffbcf5fde4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ee82879d8fc0828f808a8b9c9dae8c818b83c0898198">[email protected]</span></a>.
Cooperating Agencies: The following seven Federal agencies
participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the FEIS:
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement; U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency; National Marine Fisheries Service; National Park
Service; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Coast Guard; and U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service.
Participating Agencies: The following four agencies participated in
the preparation of the FEIS as participating agencies: Department of
Defense; Department of the Navy; the Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation; and the Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq. (NEPA, as amended) and 40 CFR
1506.6.
Karen Baker,
Chief, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management.
[FR Doc. 2023-21337 Filed 9-28-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P
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