Background and Purpose
In January of 2019, Governor Christopher Sununu of the State of New Hampshire requested the establishment of an intergovernmental offshore wind renewable energy Task Force for the state. Given the regional nature of offshore wind energy development, BOEM decided to establish a Gulf of Maine Task Force, which is composed of federal officials and elected Tribal, state, and local officials from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
The BOEM Gulf of Maine Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force is chartered to facilitate coordination and consultation related to renewable energy planning activities on the OCS in the Gulf of Maine. The purpose of this task force meeting is to:
- Facilitate coordination among federal, state, local, and tribal governments regarding the wind energy leasing process on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Maine;
- Share information about existing Gulf of Maine activities and marine conditions; and
- Provide updates on regional offshore wind goals and developer activities.
Date and Venue
December 12, 2019
University of New Hampshire (UNH)
Memorial Union Building: Strafford Room
83 Main Street, Durham, New Hampshire 03824
Directions to UNH Durham campus
Meeting Materials
- Task Force Meeting Summary
- Task Force Meeting Agenda
- Gulf of Maine Task Force Charter
- Posters
- Gulf of Maine Task Force Roster
- As a reminder, the Gulf of Maine Renewable Energy Task Force is an intergovernmental group. Task Force members include Federal officials and elected state, local, and tribal officials, and/or designated member representatives.
- If you have any questions about the Task Force roster, please contact Meredith Lilley at meredith.lilley@boem.gov or 703-787-1037.
Task Force Meeting Presentations, Public Input, and Discussion Sessions
Find the presentations and videos.
State and Federal Presentations
| Topic | Presenter | Media/Materials |
| Welcome and Opening Remarks | James Bennett, Chief, Office of Renewable Energy Programs (OREP), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) | |
| The Honorable Chris Sununu, Governor of New Hampshire | ||
| Introductions and Agenda Review | Pat Field, Facilitator, Consensus Building Institute (CBI) | |
| BOEM Offshore Renewable Energy Program Overview | James Bennett, Chief, OREP, BOEM | |
| Task Forces and the Gulf of Maine Task Force Charter | Luke Feinberg, Energy Program Specialist, OREP, BOEM | |
| BOEM Offshore Renewable Energy Leasing Process Overview | Meredith Lilley, Energy Program Specialist, OREP, BOEM | |
| New Hampshire Offshore Wind Energy Overview and Outlook | Matthew Mailloux, Energy Advisor, Office of Strategic Initiatives, New Hampshire Governor’s Office | |
| Maine Offshore Wind Energy Overview and Outlook | Dan Burgess, Director, Maine Governor’s Energy Office | |
| Massachusetts Offshore Wind Overview and Outlook | Patrick Woodcock, Undersecretary of Energy, Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
Public Input Opportunity
| Interested individuals provided input on the Task Force discussion topics. Each individual’s time was limited to 2-3 minutes, with priority given to those unable to participate in the afternoon roundtable discussion. A sign-up list and guidelines were provided at the meeting registration table. |
Offshore Wind Jurisdictional Authorities: Who is Who and What Do They Do?
| Topic | Presenter | Media/Materials |
| BOEM’s Offshore Renewable Energy Engagement with Department of Defense | David MacDuffee, Chief, Projects and Coordination Branch, OREP, BOEM | |
| Coast Guard Roles and Responsibilities, and Activities in the Gulf of Maine | Michele DesAutels, Marine Information Specialist, Maritime Energy and Marine Planning Branch, First Coast Guard District, U.S. Coast Guard | |
| NMFS Roles and Responsibilities for Offshore Wind | Susan Tuxbury, Fishery Biologist, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, Habitat Conservation Division, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) | |
| Coastal Zone Management Act Review of Offshore Renewable Energy Projects | David Kaiser, Senior Policy Analyst, Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, NOAA |
Gulf of Maine Information Resources and Ocean Users
| Topic | Presenter | Media/Materials |
| Collaboration and Decision Making with Ocean Mapping and Reporting Tools | Christine Taylor, Lead Physical Scientist, Geospatial Services Division, BOEM | |
| Northeast Regional Ocean Council Northeast Ocean Data Portal | Nick Napoli, Ocean Planning Director, Northeast Regional Ocean Council | |
| Fisheries Management in the Gulf of Maine | Tom Nies, Executive Director, New England Fisheries Management Council | |
| Responsible Offshore Development Alliance Preliminary Fisheries Perspectives | Annie Hawkins, Executive Director, Responsible Offshore Development Alliance | |
| Overview of Offshore Wind Research Supported by the DOE Wind Energy Technologies Office | Dan Beals, Program Analyst II, DOE/Allegheny Science and Technology, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) | |
| BOEM Environmental Studies Program: Overview and Opportunity to Participate | Mary Boatman, Science Coordinator, OREP, BOEM |
Next Steps and Discussions
| Topic | Presenter | Media/Materials |
| Next Steps in the Renewable Energy Leasing Process | Meredith Lilley, Energy Program Specialist, OREP, BOEM | |
| Facilitated Task Force Discussion | Pat Field, Facilitator, CBI | |
| Overview of Action Items, and Closing Remarks | Pat Field, Facilitator, CBI James Bennett, Chief, OREP, BOEM | |
| Informal Stakeholder Discussion | ||