OCEAN CITY – Less than a month remains to submit comments regarding offshore wind leasing areas off the coast of Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.
On July 31, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced three final offshore wind energy areas off the mid-Atlantic coastline. To that end, the federal agency last week published its notice of intent to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) of potential impacts from offshore wind leasing in the wind energy areas.
The public has through Aug. 31 to respond.
“BOEM is seeking public input regarding important environmental issues and the identification of reasonable alternatives that should be considered in the EA,” the notice reads. “The environmental impacts of any proposed wind energy projects will be assessed after a lease is issued and before BOEM decides whether or not to approve any lessee’s project construction and operations plan.”
Last fall, BOEM announced eight draft wind energy areas on the U.S. Central Atlantic outer continental shelf for public review and comment. The draft wind energy areas are offshore of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, covering approximately 1.7 million acres.
Before finalizing the wind energy areas, BOEM reports it considered feedback from government partners, ocean users, and stakeholders in addition to potential conflicts with a United States Coast Guard safety fairway, commercial fishing, Department of Defense activities, a National Aeronautics and Space Administration danger zone, and marine habitat areas.
On July 31, BOEM announced the final wind energy areas, which are identified as A-2, B-1, and C-1 off the coast of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
“BOEM values a robust and transparent offshore wind planning process, which requires early and frequent engagement with Tribal governments, the Department of Defense, NASA, other government agencies, and ocean users” said BOEM Director Liz Klein. “We will continue to work closely with them, and all interested stakeholders, as we move forward with our environmental review.”
BOEM published its notice of intent to prepare an environmental assessment on Aug. 1, which will initiate a 30-day public comment period. Another public comment period would occur if BOEM decides to move forward with a lease sale in any of the wind energy areas.
“This notice starts the scoping process for the EA and solicits information regarding additional important environmental issues and alternatives that should be considered in the EA …,” the notice reads. “Additionally, BOEM will use the scoping process to identify and eliminate from detailed analysis issues that are not significant or that have been analyzed by prior environmental reviews.”
BOEM reports it will also seek information from the public on cultural resources and historic properties that might be impacted by wind energy area leases and activities.
“Wind energy leases do not authorize any activities on the Outer Continental Shelf,” the notice reads. “Instead, leases grant lessees the exclusive right to submit plans for BOEM approval. Prior to deciding whether or not to approve any plan for the construction and operation of commercial wind energy facilities, BOEM will prepare a plan-specific environmental analysis and will comply with all consultation requirements. Therefore, this EA will not consider the construction and operation of any commercial wind energy facilities in the [wind energy areas] A–2, B–1, and C–1.”
If fully developed, BOEM reports the final wind energy areas could support between four and eight gigawatts of energy production.
