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Public Comments on Offshore Wind Initiatives in Mid-Atlantic & New England

August 2011

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) has publicized public comments made in response to the Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) of Commercial Wind Lease Issuance and Site Characterization Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

The Draft EA evaluates potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts of BOEMRE’s proposed action of leasing and approving site characterization activities in designated offshore Wind Energy Areas (WEAs), including potential environmental impacts associated with site assessment activities, such as the installation and operation of meteorological towers and buoys.

The Preferred Alternative, which is also BOEMRE’s Proposed Action, is lease issuance and approval of Site Assessment Plans in all areas of the WEAs. Other alternatives considered in the Draft EA included seasonal restrictions on certain activities in all of the WEAs to avoid peak migration periods for right whales and other marine mammals, and exclusions of certain areas in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia to avoid anchorage ground, inclement weather diversion areas, and other areas of concern to the US Coast Guard.

Based in part on public comment, BOEMRE will now determine whether it must perform additional environmental review, such as preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement, or whether it can proceed to a Finding of No Significant Impact, consistent with its conclusions in the Draft EA, the issuance of which could potentially shorten the time period for approval of offshore wind leases and site characterization activities by several years. It could also provide a consistent baseline for the scope and extent of information required in a site characterization plan to support BOEMRE approval.

Those interested in offshore wind development should also note that BOEMRE has issued a Notice of Intent to Prepare an EA for Wind Leases Offshore Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Public comments that could guide the scope of this Draft EA are due on October 3, 2011.

The Draft EA is part of the “Smart from the Start” initiative being led by the U.S. Department of the Interior to facilitate efficient and environmentally responsible development of renewable energy resources on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf and identify areas that appear to be suitable for renewable energy development for BOEMRE to focus its leasing efforts. Any leases ultimately issued by BOEMRE will not authorize construction or operations; instead, specific proposed projects will be the subject of subsequent environmental review and analysis with additional opportunities for public comment.

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