As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of permitting 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030 and 15 GW of floating offshore wind capacity by 2035, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today announced the availability of its draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the potential issuance of an offshore wind research lease in the Gulf of Maine.
The state of Maine requested the research lease for the purpose of researching potential floating offshore wind development. The research site lies 20 nautical miles off the coast of Maine, roughly southeast of Portland, and if developed would comprise up to 12 floating offshore wind turbines capable of generating up to 144 megawatts of renewable energy. More information about the lease request can be found on BOEM’s website.
On July 21, 2023, BOEM will publish in the Federal Register a Notice of Availability (NOA) of the draft EA, which will announce the official start of the 30-day public comment period that will end at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Aug. 21, 2023.
“BOEM is committed to maintaining open and transparent communication and values this opportunity for public input to help inform any future decisions,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “We look forward to hearing from our Tribal and government partners, as well as all stakeholders and ocean users, as we move forward with this process.”
During the public comment period, BOEM will hold two virtual public meetings on the draft EA where the public can learn more about the EA process and next steps, potential impacts from the proposed research lease, and proposals to avoid, minimize, or mitigate potential impacts. In addition, during the virtual meetings attendees will be invited to provide comments for the record. The meetings will be held on the following dates and times (Eastern). Registration is required.
- Tue., Aug. 1, 2023, at 5:00 p.m.
- Thur., Aug. 3, 2023, at 1:00 p.m.
After BOEM considers public comments submitted during the review period, BOEM will publish a final EA. The EA will inform BOEM’s decision on whether to issue the research lease.
More information about the draft EA, instructions on how to submit comments, and information on the public meetings can be found on BOEM’s website.
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The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is responsible for America’s offshore energy and mineral resources. The bureau promotes energy independence, environmental protection and economic development through responsible, science-based management of energy and mineral resources on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.