Nantucket leaders on Thursday filed an appeal challenging the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management ’s approval of the SouthCoast Wind project.

The appeal, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia , is not aimed at halting the project but instead calls for the agency to redo some of the permitting deliberations, which Nantucket officials claim were "deeply flawed."

"The goal of the appeal is to ensure that the permitting of the project complies with federal law," town officials said in a Q&A about their action posted to the town's website on Thursday.

If SouthCoast Wind continues to move forward, town officials said, they want the court "to order BOEM to accurately assess the adverse impacts on Nantucket and mandate appropriate changes to the project reflecting a realistic assessment, as well as minimization or mitigation of those harms to the greatest extent possible."

As part of that, the town is asking the Bureau to prohibit construction until the matter is resolved.

SouthCoast did not respond to a request for comment.

BOEM approved SouthCoast construction plan in January

SouthCoast Wind — formerly Mayflower Wind — is owned by Ocean Winds , a joint venture of the French utility company ENGIE and EDP Renewables, which has ties to Portugal's largest utility company and a Singaporean investment corporation.

The company is proposing a 2,400-megawatt project spanning about 127,388 acres approximately 20 miles southwest of Nantucket and 26 miles south of Martha's Vineyard.

On Jan. 17 the federal agency approved SouthCoast's construction and operations plan , allowing up to 141 wind turbines, up to five offshore substation platforms, and up to eight power transmission cables. Plans call for bringing the first 1,200 megawatts ashore at Brayton Point in Somerset. The remaining 1,200 megawatts, planned for a later phase, could also make landfall there, though Falmouth is under consideration as well.

The Bureau's approval was unveiled just days before President Donald Trump took office and issued an executive order pausing further federal consideration of new and not-yet-permitted offshore wind projects.

'Our community should not bear the consequences ...'

In their complaint , Nantucket officials argue that the federal agency failed to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act .

Nantucket, Muskeget and Tuckernuck islands are collectively recognized as a National Historic Landmark .

"When the federal government approved the lease areas for offshore wind in the Atlantic a dozen years ago, it allowed communities to be misled into believing the turbines would be invisible or barely visible," the Q&A says.

The town contends that the Bureau did not fully evaluate the potential harmful effects on Nantucket of up to 743 wind turbines "three times taller than the Statue of Liberty" associated with nine wind farms, including SouthCoast.

"BOEM admits this volume of proposed turbines will cause Nantucket harm but has required that SouthCoast Wind do virtually nothing about it — putting all risks on the community," town officials said.

Nantucket further alleges the federal agency failed fully to consider other possible problems, such as the turbine blade from the neighboring Vineyard Wind project that broke "during the height of tourist season in 2024, washing tons of material ashore and making international news."

“Despite our repeated attempts to help BOEM and the developer find balance between the nation’s renewable energy goals and the protection of what makes us unique, they have refused to work with us and to follow the law," said Nantucket Select Board Chairwoman Brooke Mohr in a statement issued Thursday. "We are taking action to hold them accountable. Our community should not bear the consequences of their poor planning.”

Select Board Vice Chairman Matt Fee says the town's appeal is "not about protecting rich people’s views."

"Our entire economy depends on heritage tourism. If people no longer want to come to Nantucket, that has a real impact on our small businesses and the people who operate them,” he said.

Nantucket leaders also worry about lost jobs, decline of property values, and harm to the fisheries, marine habitats and beaches.

What changes did Vineyard Wind make?

The town does not expect to stop the development — the court doesn't have the authority to do that — but it can require federal agencies "to restart permitting review to correct legal errors and comply with federal law."

Nantucket officials previously considered filing a similar appeal in response to the 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind project, which is constructing 62 turbines off the island's southwestern shore, but held off after the company agreed to deal with the town's complaints.

Resulting changes to the plans included eliminating the row of turbines originally planned closer to the island, painting turbines a non-reflective color to reduce daytime visibility, installing a system to reduce nighttime lighting, and the Nantucket Offshore Wind Community Fund to support local historic preservation and environmental conservation projects.

Nantucket officials point out they are not against renewable energy but feel it shouldn't be viewed as a "choice between clean energy on the one hand and preservation of culture and local economies on the other."

"We can, and must, develop clean energy in ways that do not destroy the characteristics and livelihoods of American communities," officials wrote.

Heather McCarron writes about climate change, environment, energy, science and the natural world, in addition to news and features in Barnstable and Brewster. Reach her at .

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