REUTERS: Trump administration infighting is holding up approval of the first major U.S. offshore wind energy project, with agencies sparring over whether the proposal does enough to protect the fishing industry, according to interviews and agency documents.
Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Avangrid Inc , was scheduled to begin construction this year 14 miles off the coast of Massachusetts to power more than 400,000 homes by 2021 - making it the first large-scale offshore wind development in the United States.
Getting the support allows the process to move more quickly, but failing to get it can force further analysis.In an April 16 letter to BOEM, Michael Pentony, regional administrator for NOAA Fisheries' Greater Atlantic office, said his agency could not support the environmental permit for Vineyard Wind because the project failed to fully address the concerns of the fishing industry.
In a written response to Pentony, seen by Reuters, BOEM Chief Environmental Officer William Brown said the fishing industry's concerns"do not rise to the level that would justify the likely extensive project delays and potential failure of the project."