BOEM may publish a Request for Interest (RFI) in the Federal Register (FR)
Qualifications to Acquire and Hold Renewable Energy Leases and Grants on the OCS (September 2012). This document provides guidelines to prospective lessees and grantees on the requirements to qualify for and hold renewable energy leases and grants on the Outer Continental Shelf.
BOEM publishes a Call for Information and Nominations (Call)
Qualifications to Acquire and Hold Renewable Energy Leases and Grants on the OCS (September 2012). This document provides guidelines to prospective lessees and grantees on the requirements to qualify for and hold renewable energy leases and grants on the Outer Continental Shelf.
Applicant submits an unsolicited request for a non-competitive lease
Filing Addresses for Renewable Energy Lease and Grant Requests (February 2016). This document provides filing instructions for renewable energy lease and grant requests.
BOEM reviews application for completeness and environmental-use conflict
Qualifications to Acquire and Hold Renewable Energy Leases and Grants on the OCS (September 2012). This document provides guidelines to prospective lessees and grantees on the requirements to qualify for and hold renewable energy leases and grants on the Outer Continental Shelf.
Applicant submits any required consistency certification and necessary data and information pursuant to 15 CFR part 930, subpart D, to the applicable State Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) agency or agencies and BOEM
Prior to the publication of a Proposed Sale Notice for a Wind Energy Area (WEA), BOEM prepares a Consistency Determination (CD) under 15 CFR 930.36(a), which it sends to each affected state. Typically, BOEM prepares a single CD given the proximity of a WEA to multiple states, comparable impacts on environmental and socioeconomic resources and uses within each state, common coastal management issues between states, and similar enforceable policies as identified by each state’s respective coastal zone management plan. Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321–4370f), BOEM prepares Environmental Assessments (EAs) to consider the reasonably foreseeable impacts of lease issuance and site assessment activities. These EAs provide the comprehensive data and information required under 30 CFR 939.39 to support BOEM’s CDs.
These CDs consider lease issuance, associated site characterization surveys (i.e., shallow hazards, geological, geotechnical, archaeological, and biological surveys), and site assessment activities (i.e., construction and operation of meteorological towers and buoys). If a lessee or applicant submits a Site Assessment Plan (SAP) that shows changes in impacts from those considered in the CD, or if BOEM has not previously reviewed the proposed site assessment activities for that WEA pursuant to CZMA, BOEM will require the lessee or applicant to submit a consistency certification pursuant to 15 CFR part 930, subpart E or D, depending on whether or not a lease has already been issued.
The CD and state concurrence do not consider or apply to future wind energy facilities in the subject WEAs. For Construction and Operations Plans (COPs), the lessee or applicant is required to submit a consistency certification (CC) pursuant to 15 CFR part 930, subpart E or D, depending on whether or not a lease has already been issued. In situations where a CC is required, BOEM will not approve the SAP or COP until the CC process is completed.
Lessee submits survey plan (if required by the lease)
Survey Guidelines. Before BOEM will approve the siting of a facility, structure, or cable proposed for a renewable energy project on the Outer Continental Shelf, an applicant must submit a survey plan with its Site Assessment Plan, or General Activities Plan, as applicable.
Lessee submits a Site Assessment Plan (SAP)
Information Requirements for a Renewable Energy Site Assessment Plan (SAP) (February 2016). These guidelines clarify and supplement information requirements for SAP submittals. This information is necessary for BOEM to complete analyses under National Environmental Policy Act and other applicable laws and regulations.
BOEM prepares National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis
If a Site Assessment Plan (SAP) is submitted for an area for which BOEM has already considered site assessment activities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other Federal laws, BOEM would determine whether the existing Environmental Assessment (EA) and consultations adequately consider the environmental consequences of the activities proposed in the lessee’s SAP.
If BOEM determines that the analysis in the EA adequately considers these consequences, then no further NEPA analysis would be required before the SAP is approved. If BOEM determines the analysis in the EA is inadequate for that purpose or there is no existing EA, BOEM would prepare an additional NEPA analysis before approving the SAP.
Use of a categorical exclusion may be appropriate for a SAP that proposed deployment of meteorological buoys.
Lessee submits a Construction and Operations Plan (COP)
Information Requirements for a Construction and Operations Plan (COP) (April 2016). These guidelines (1) provide data requirements to help BOEM analyze potential environmental and socioeconomic effects and operational integrity of proposed construction, operation, and decommissioning activities; (2) provide recommendations for coordinating with owners and operators of telecommunication cables that traverse a BOEM-issued renewable energy lease area; and (3) provide clarification on the site characterization data that the lessee submits with its initial COP to support BOEM’s review of the lessee’s initial and subsequent phases of development of the lease area, when the lessee proposes phased commercial development of the lease area.
BOEM prepares National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis
If a Construction and Operations Plan (COP) is submitted, BOEM would prepare a project-specific NEPA analysis. This would most likely take the form of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and would provide additional opportunities for public involvement pursuant to NEPA and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations at 40 CFR 1500–1508.
These additional opportunities for public involvement include: 1) a formal scoping period during which BOEM will host public scoping meetings to verify information submitted by the lessee and gather input on issues, alternatives, and mitigation measures to be considered in the project specific NEPA document; and 2) a public comment period on the draft NEPA document, during which BOEM will host additional public meetings.
BOEM will use the EIS document to evaluate the reasonably foreseeable environmental consequences associated with the proposed COP activities. BOEM will use the EIS to decide whether to approve, approve with modification, or disapprove a lessee’s COP pursuant to 30 CFR 585.628, and to identify any terms and conditions of plan approval.