What's New?
Commercial Leasing
In response to the Request for Interest (RFI), BOEM received nominations of areas of interest from 5 developers. Each of the parties listed below has been legally, technically and financially qualified.
- Map of all Nominations Received
- Avangrid Renewables, LLC
- Hexicon USA, LLC
- Pine Tree Offshore Wind, LLC
- TotalEnergies SBE US, LLC
- US Mainstream Renewable Power Inc.
BOEM is targeting to release a draft Call for Information and Nominations Area in January 2023. Please see the Public Engagement section below for more details.
BOEM is tentatively planning to host the next Gulf of Maine Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force Meeting in the spring of 2023.
Research Lease Application
BOEM is continuing to review any submissions provided in response to the Request for Competitive Interest (published August 19, 2022).
See our Research Lease Application page for additional details on that process.
Public Engagement
The next step in BOEM’s renewable energy leasing process for the Gulf of Maine is the release of a draft Call for Information and Nominations Area, anticipated in January 2023. BOEM would like to receive feedback on the draft Call Area and the Wind Energy Area model that is being developed in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Center for Coastal and Ocean Science (NCCOS) for the next phase of the planning process. BOEM will be hosting a series of in-person and virtual meetings, as follows:
In-Person Meetings*:
- Massachusetts:
- Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2023
- Time: 4-7pm EST
- Location: TBD
- Registration (Coming Soon)
- New Hampshire
- Date: Wednesday, January 18, 2023
- Time: 5-8pm EST
- Location:
NHDES Portsmouth Regional Office
Pease International Tradeport 222
International Drive, Suite 175
Portsmouth, NH 03801
- Maine
- Date: Thursday, January 19, 2023
- Time: 5-8pm EST
- Location: TBD
- Registration (Coming Soon)
* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Community Levels will be monitored for the counties in which the in-person meetings take place. If the COVID-19 Community Level is ‘MEDIUM’ or ‘HIGH”, BOEM may decide to cancel in-person meetings and replace one or more meetings with a virtual meeting. The same approach applies for any winter weather advisories that may present obstacles to travel for in-person meetings. Please check this website 24 hours prior to any of the in-person meetings to confirm status.
Virtual Meetings:
- Shipping & Commercial Maritime
- Date: January 25, 2023
- Time: 2-4pm EST
- Registration (Coming Soon)
- Fisheries Meetings
- Maine Fisheries (Fixed Gear Focus)
- Date: January 27, 2023
- Time: 10am-12pm EST
- Registration (Coming Soon)
- Mobile Gear
- Date: January 30, 2023
- Time: 10am-12pm EST
- Registration (Coming Soon)
- Recreational and Highly Migratory Species
- Date: January 30, 2023
- Time: 2-4pm EST
- Registration (Coming Soon)
- Fixed Gear (Massachusetts/New Hampshire Focus)
- Date: January 31, 2023
- Time: 5-7pm EST
- Registration (Coming Soon)
- Maine Fisheries (Fixed Gear Focus)
- Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (eNGOs)
- Date: January 31, 2023
- Time: 10am-12pm EST
- Registration (Coming Soon)
On August 18th, the Department of the Interior announced two significant milestones in its efforts to advance offshore wind planning and leasing in the Gulf of Maine:
- Request for Interest (RFI) – first step in the commercial leasing process for the Gulf of Maine
- Request for Competitive Interest (RFCI) – Response to State of Maine research application
The publication of these Federal Register notices on August 19, 2022, initiated two separate 45-day comment periods that closed on Monday, October 3, 2022.
Public Engagement
Task Force Meetings
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.
There have been two Gulf of Maine Task Force Meetings to date, and more can be expected as BOEM progresses through the different milestones of the planning and leasing process:
