BP Withdraws Application for Beacon Wind Project Interconnection Plan
Energy supermajor BP has formally withdrawn its application for the 320-kilometre-long cable and interconnection plan for its Beacon Wind project located in US federal waters between Cape Cod and Long Island.
This follows Beacon Wind’s decision in January 2024 to terminate a previously awarded state contract for energy from the array. The cancellation of the deal came after partners Equinor and BP split up and divided their offshore assets. BP retained control of Beacon 1 and Beacon 2 lease areas while Equinor gained control of the Empire Wind offshore wind projects off Long Island.
The company said in a statement that the decision was made to allow for more time in the evaluation of the project’s design and configuration.
“Since the project submitted its application and queue position, New York’s approach to offshore wind project interconnection has evolved in the direction of coordinated offshore transmission,” BP said.
Beacon 1 was initially supposed to deliver its 1,230MW of power to the New York City grid via a newly planned energy center in Astoria. The project was later revised and the transmission cable got to its 320 km length.
BP has previously requested a year-long delay in the application process from the New York Public Service Commission which would allow it to reassess its point of interconnection in the city.
This is another hit for the US offshore wind industry which is reeling from president Donald Trump’s ban on new offshore wind leases on the country’s outer continental shelf.