Central Atlantic

What's New?

map of the Central Atlantic wind energy areas
Final WEAs Shapefiles

On Oct. 10, 2023, BOEM will host a virtual meeting for the Central Atlantic Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force at 10 a.m. Eastern. The purpose of the meeting is to:

  • Obtain feedback on the next steps in the offshore renewable energy process.
  • Discuss issues and concerns from Task Force members, stakeholders, and the public.
  • Share information about ocean uses and biological and physical resources.
  • Facilitate ongoing conversations and collaboration opportunities.

Task force members include Tribal, Federal, state, and local government officials. Members of the public are invited to attend. There will be an opportunity for questions and comments.

To register for the Task Force meeting, go to: https://kearnswest.zoom.us/j/81190863683.

Public Engagement

BOEM coordinates Outer Continental Shelf renewable energy activities in the Central Atlantic with its Tribal, Federal, state, and local government partners through an intergovernmental renewable energy task force. BOEM also meets with ocean users and key stakeholders to gather information to inform decisions with regard to potential offshore wind activities.

Related Press Releases

ReN Central Atlantic Fisheries Map 8
Central Atlantic Planning Area shapefile download

Call for Information and Nominations

On April 27, 2022, BOEM announced the publication of a Call for Information and Nominations (Call) to assess commercial interest in -- and obtain public input on -- potential wind energy leasing activities in federal waters of the Central Atlantic.

The 60-day public comment period closed on June 28, 2022, and comments can be viewed at https://www.regulations.gov/document/BOEM-2022-0023-0001/comment.  

During the comment period, BOEM received nominations of areas of interest from 3 developers. Each of the parties listed below has been legally, technically and financially qualified.

draft WEA Primary Secondary map
Draft WEAs Map
Draft WEAs Nautical Chart Map
Draft WEAs Shapefiles

Draft Wind Energy Areas

On Nov. 16, 2022, BOEM announced eight draft Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) in the Central Atlantic for public review and comment. The draft WEAs are in federal waters offshore North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. They cover approximately 1.7 million acres. Their closest points range from approximately 19 to 77 nautical miles off the Central Atlantic coast. The following documents are available in support of this announcement:

The eight draft WEAs represent a subset of the original 3.9 million acres of the Call Area that the Department of the Interior announced for public comment in April 2022.  

Final WEAs

On July 31, 2023, BOEM announced three final Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) offshore Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, which were developed following extensive engagement and feedback from states, Tribes, local residents, ocean users, federal government partners, and other members of the public.  If fully developed, the final WEAs could support between four and eight gigawatts of energy production. 

Description of the WEAs 

  • WEA A-2 is 101,767 acres and is located 26 nautical miles (nm) from Delaware Bay.
  • WEA C is 176,506 acres offshore and is located about 35 nm offshore of the Chesapeake Bay, Va.  
  • WEA B-1 is undergoing an in-depth review to determine whether DoD and NASA activities can co-exist with offshore wind energy development.

The WEAs are in comparatively shallow water. BOEM may identify additional WEAs in deepwater areas offshore the U.S. Central Atlantic coast for future leasing once further study of those areas has been done.   

Environmental Review 

BOEM published its Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental assessment of potential impacts from offshore wind leasing in the WEAs in the Federal Register on August 1, 2023, which initiated a 30-day public comment period.