Gulf of Maine

Project Overview
Environmental Review
Proposed Sale Notice Details
Commercial Leasing History
Research Lease
Resources

What's New?

On September 6, 2024, BOEM announced the availability of its final Environmental Assessment (EA) of the Wind Energy Area (WEA) located in the Gulf of Maine.

After carefully considering alternatives described and analyzed in the Final EA, as well as comments from the public and cooperating and consulting agencies on the Draft EA, BOEM has found there would be no significant impact on the environment as a result of lease issuance.

Where Can Offshore Wind Turbines Go? — Learn how BOEM and NOAA use a multi-phase, public process to tackle the complicated task of identifying potential areas for offshore renewable energy development.

How Did We Get Here?

This Proposed Sale Notice (PSN) reflects a multi-year planning process that has included robust engagement with Tribes, local communities, federal and state agencies, ocean users, and stakeholders to balance the complex social, ecological, and economic factors in the Gulf of Maine. See the Commercial Leasing History tab for more background and history.

BOEM’s strategic partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science has enhanced this process and incorporated the best available ocean resource information to inform wind energy areas. These efforts, summarized in the video and StoryMap on this page, are designed to set an informed foundation to deconflict multiple ocean uses in areas of future offshore wind energy development.

Public Engagement

Gulf of Maine Area Siting Map — Click here to explore and interactive StoryMap explaining the offshore wind energy siting process in the Gulf of Maine

Gulf of Maine Draft EA Virtual Public Meetings (July 2024)
Gulf of Maine Task Force Meeting (May 31, 2024)
Gulf of Maine Proposed Sale Notice Public Meetings (May – July 2024)
Gulf of Maine Draft Wind Energy Area Public Meetings (November 2023)
Gulf of Maine Meetings for the Fishing Community (July 2023)
Gulf of Maine Task Force Meeting (May 10-11, 2023)
Gulf of Maine Draft Call Area Engagement Meetings (January 2023)
Gulf of Maine Task Force Meeting (May 19, 2022)
Gulf of Maine Task Force Meeting (Dec. 12, 2019)

Press Releases

Final Environmental Assessment

On September 6, 2024, BOEM announced the availability of its final Environmental Assessment (EA) of the Wind Energy Area (WEA) located in the Gulf of Maine.

Draft Environmental Assessment

On June 21, 2024, BOEM published a notice of availability (NOA) of a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) in the Federal Register. The Draft EA assessed the potential impacts associated with possible wind energy-related leasing, site assessment, and site characterization activities on the U.S. Gulf of Maine.

Notice of Availability of Gulf of Maine Draft EA (BOEM-2024-0030)
Draft EA and Appendices: Commercial Wind Lease Issuance and Site Assessment Activities on the Gulf of Maine

The NOA initiated a 30-day public comment period that ended on July 22, 2024. During the public comment period, BOEM hosted two virtual meetings on the following dates:

Monday, July 8, 2024
- Meeting Recording
Wednesday, July 10, 2024
- Meeting Recording

GoME PSN Lease Areas Nautical Chart — Gulf of Maine Proposed Lease Area

As a result of BOEM’s April 30, 2024, announcement (see below), on June 18, 2024, BOEM held an auction seminar for prospective bidders, which was open to the public.

On April 30, 2024, the Interior Department announced its proposal for a first offshore wind energy auction in the Gulf of Maine. The proposed sale would include eight lease areas offshore Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, totaling nearly 1 million acres, which have the potential to generate approximately 15 GW of clean, renewable energy and power over 5 million homes. In identifying these areas from the Final WEA, BOEM prioritized avoidance of offshore fishing grounds and identification of vessel transit routes, while retaining sufficient acreage to support the region’s offshore wind energy goals (13-18 GW based on information from Massachusetts, Maine, and ISO-New England).

Gulf of Maine Proposed Lease Areas, Acres, and Assigned Region

Lease Area ID	Region	Total Lease Acres	Total Developable Acres
OCS-A 0562	North	121,339	121,339
OCS-A 0563	North	132,369	132,369
OCS-A 0564	South	110,308	105,499
OCS-A 0565	South	115,290	115,290
OCS-A 0566	South	127,388	127,388
OCS-A 0567	South	123,118	117,391
OCS-A 0568	South	134,149	123,389
OCS-A 0569	South	106,038	101,757
Total		969,999	944,422
Average		121,250	118,053

GoME PSN Lease Areas South Nautical Chart — Gulf of Maine Proposed Lease Areas (South Region)

The average area of the proposed leases is approximately 120,000 acres. Several leases are subject to a proposed lease stipulation that would prohibit surface or subsurface (i.e., floating foundations, mooring lines, anchor structures, or inter-array cables) development along specific lease borders. This proposed stipulation applies to several proposed leases in the southern region of the Final WEA, east of Massachusetts, where BOEM has created three corridors between leases to facilitate existing and future transit through proposed lease areas. These corridors occur in a Northwest to Southeast direction, as well as in an East and West direction, and have a minimum width of 2.5 nautical miles (nm). For the applicable leases, the total “developable acres” are less than the total “lease acres,” as described in the table above.

BOEM created these corridors in response to feedback from members of the fishing community that have requested offshore wind energy facilities be designed in a manner that, among other things, provides for uninterrupted transit to and from fishing grounds.

It is important to note that BOEM does not have the authority to designate transit lanes. The United States Coast Guard’s (USCG) authority to provide safe access routes for the movement of vessel traffic is found in the Ports and Waterways Safety Act. See 46 U.S.C. 70003.

Proposed Auction Format

BOEM is proposing to conduct a simultaneous auction to lease eight lease areas using a multiple-factor auction format. For this Lease Sale, multiple-factor bidding would include a combination of monetary and non-monetary factors. The bid made by a specific bidder in each round is the sum of the monetary factor (cash bid) and the value of non-monetary factors in the form of bidding credits. Proposed bidding credits include funding for fisheries compensatory mitigation, domestic supply chain development, and workforce training.

BOEM’s proposal is to allow each qualified entity to bid for and ultimately win a maximum of two leases each, including a maximum of one Lease Area in the North Region as shown in table above. As proposed, a bidder can bid for and win a maximum of two South Region leases, or one North Region lease and one South Region lease—but cannot bid for or win both North Region leases.

Public Comment

The required 60-day comment period on the PSN occured May 1 – July 1, 2024. Once the Federal Register notice published, individuals commented by navigating to Regulations.gov and searching for BOEM-2024-0026, and by attending one of the in-person BOEM public meetings on the PSN.

BOEM is seeking feedback on various aspects of the proposed lease areas, including size, orientation, and location of the eight lease areas and which areas, if any, should be prioritized for inclusion or exclusion from this Lease Sale. BOEM is also seeking comment on potential lease stipulations regarding vessel transit and baseline environmental monitoring. Like recent leases in other regions, BOEM is proposing lease stipulations to ensure that any future leaseholders consider and engage potentially affected stakeholders and communities, including Tribes, historically underserved communities, and the fishing industry, early and often throughout the offshore wind energy development process.

If BOEM decides to proceed with the auction, the next step would be publication of a Final Sale Notice (FSN). An environmental assessment to evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated with offshore wind leases would be completed prior to the FSN.

Phased Leasing

On April 24, 2024, Secretary Haaland announced a new 5-year offshore wind leasing schedule. This schedule includes two anticipated Gulf of Maine sales: the first in October 2024; and the second in 2028.

In the Gulf of Maine, we began asking about a potential “phased leasing” approach when we published the Draft WEA in October 2023. The concept of phased leasing is that multiple lease sales could occur within the region over a number of years, drawing from Final WEA(s). When we published the Final WEA and the accompanying Area Identification memo, we referenced the broad support received for a phased leasing approach within the Draft WEA comments; however, we acknowledged that commentor recommendations for the scale and timing of those phases varied widely across individuals and stakeholder groups.

The Secretary’s announcement is a continuation of this conversation on “phased leasing,” and would represent a potential second phase for the Gulf of Maine in 2028. The timing and scope of a second Gulf of Maine sale would be directly informed by the results of the 2024 sale, as well as the future position of potentially affected Tribes, Gulf of Maine states, stakeholder engagement, relevant market conditions, and regional energy goals.

Planning and Leasing History

On October 13, 2021, Secretary Haaland announced an ambitious offshore wind leasing strategy for 2021-2025, which includes the goal of holding a commercial lease sale within the Gulf of Maine in 2024.

In advance of the May 19, 2022 Gulf of Maine Task Force Meeting, BOEM released the Gulf of Maine Planning Area. The Planning Area is the starting point for the commercial leasing process, and will be significantly reduced through the ensuing planning and leasing phases. The first reduction will occur through a Request for Interest (RFI). Beginning with an RFI allows BOEM to gauge commercial interest in offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine, while also maximizing the opportunity for the public to engage and provide input. BOEM prepared the RFI Development Framework to outline BOEM’s approach to developing a draft RFI and to receive feedback from the Task Force.

The discussion of wind energy development in the Gulf of Maine advanced in 2019, following the request from Governor Sununu of New Hampshire to create the Gulf of Maine Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force. The first Task Force meeting was held on December 12, 2019.

Request for Interest (RFI)

On August 19, 2022, BOEM published a Request for Interest (RFI) for the Gulf of Maine in the Federal Register. The RFI was the first step in BOEM’s commercial planning and leasing process to identify the offshore locations that appear most suitable for development, taking into consideration potential impacts to resources and ocean users. The purpose of the RFI was to gauge interest in the development of commercial wind energy leases within the RFI Area, which consists of 13,713,825 acres in the Gulf of Maine. The RFI Area followed the RFI Development Framework shared at the May 2022 Task Force meeting, and mirrors the Draft RFI Area, with the exception of the expanded RFCI area, which is described in detail on the Research Lease Application tab.

Through the RFI, BOEM sought feedback from stakeholders, industry, Tribes, and others regarding the location and size of specific areas they wish to be included in (or excluded from) a future offshore wind energy lease sale, along with other planning considerations. This information will be used to narrow the area to be considered for offshore wind development as BOEM moves forward with the Gulf of Maine planning and leasing process.

RFI Federal Register Notice
RFI Shapefile
RFI Blocks
RFI Nautical Chart Map
Gulf of Maine Data Inventory (updated 8/12/2022)
- Note: BOEM created this Data Inventory to share a current snapshot (i.e., at the time of RFI publication) of the publicly available data layers it is currently considering as part of the planning process. BOEM is actively working with Federal and state partners to identify and request other known data sources in the Gulf of Maine. The creation of this Inventory is in response to feedback received at the May 2022 Task Force meeting, and is intended to help inform the public in providing comments on the RFI. BOEM will periodically update this document as more data become available and are incorporated into the planning and analysis.

BOEM also published a separate Request for Competitive Interest (RFCI) in response to the State of Maine’s research lease application. For more information on that process go to Research Lease Application tab.

RFI Nominations

Gulf_of_maine total_nominations_nautical_chart — Gulf of Maine RFI Company Nominations

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
- Map of the nomination
- Block table
Hexicon USA, LLC
- Map of the nomination
- Block table
Pine Tree Offshore Wind, LLC
- Map of the nomination
- Block table
TotalEnergies SBE US, LLC
- Map of the nomination
- Block table
US Mainstream Renewable Power Inc.
- Map of the nomination
- Block table

Draft Call Area

BOEM used information gained through public comment and industry nominations on the RFI, as well as spatial analysis advanced in partnership with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Center for Coastal and Ocean Science (NCCOS) and reduced the original RFI area by about 27% to 9.9 million acres. The reduced area, or draft Call Area, can be viewed below.

BOEM hosted a series of meetings in January 2023 to solicit feedback on the draft Call Area.

Call for Information and Nominations

GulfofMaine_call_additional_analysis_with_notes — Call Area – Areas for Additional Analysis Map

On Apr. 25, 2023, BOEM announced the publication of the Gulf of Maine’s Call for Information and Nominations (Call). This Call invites public comment on, and assesses interest in, possible commercial wind energy development in areas offshore Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. The Call also requests input on data for the Wind Energy Area model that is being developed in collaboration with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) for the next phase of the planning process.

Gulf of Maine Call Nominations Hearmap — Gulf of Maine Call Area Company Nominations

The final Call Area mostly mirrors the draft, with an exception along the southern boundary, as BOEM removed approximately 160,000 acres from future consideration to avoid Georges Bank. BOEM recognizes that some conflicts remain within the Call Area. The decision to maintain a broad Call Area is intentional, as BOEM seeks to maximize the use of an ecosystem-wide suitability model. Application of this powerful spatial analysis tool, developed in partnership with NCCOS, will assist in the identification of the least conflicted draft Wind Energy Areas, while still striving to meet the Biden-Harris administration and Gulf of Maine states’ renewable energy goals.

During the comment period, BOEM received nominations of areas of interest from 7 developers. Each of the parties listed below has been legally, technically and financially qualified.

Map of all Nominations Received
- Avangrid Renewables, LLC
- Corio USA ProjectCo LLC
- Diamond Wind North America, LLC
- Maine Offshore Wind Development LLC
- OW Gulf of Maine LLC
- Repsol Renewables North America, Inc.
- TotalEnergies SBE US, LLC

Draft Wind Energy Area

GOME WEA Secondary Areas — Gulf of Maine Draft Wind Energy Area with BOEM Secondary Areas for Further Analysis

On Oct. 19, 2023, BOEM announced a Draft Wind Energy Area (Draft WEA) in the Gulf of Maine and an accompanying a 30-day public comment period. The Draft WEA covers approximately 3,519,067 acres offshore Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, ranging from approximately 23 - 120 miles off the coast.

Maps

Draft Wind Energy Area
Gulf of Maine Draft Wind Energy Area with BOEM Secondary Areas for Further Analysis
Draft Wind Energy Area with Grid Index (to facilitate commenting)
Map Shapefiles (Draft WEA, Grid Index, Secondary Areas)

About the Draft WEA

BOEM used a comprehensive process to identify an area that appears most suitable for floating offshore wind energy leasing and potential development, taking into consideration possible impacts to coastal and marine resources and ocean users. BOEM collaborated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) to use an ocean planning model that seeks to identify and minimize conflicts.

The Draft WEA represents a 64% reduction from the Call Area, which BOEM announced for comment in April 2023. The Draft WEA has a combined capacity of over 40 GW (assuming a power density of 3 megawatts per square kilometer), which exceeds the current combined offshore wind planning goals for the Gulf of Maine states: 10 GW for Massachusetts; 3 GW for Maine. BOEM anticipates future reductions to the Draft WEA, while striving to retain sufficient area to meet the States’ planning goals.

BOEM has also identified three Secondary Areas for Further Analysis (Secondary Areas). These areas are not part of the Draft WEA; however, BOEM seeks additional comment from the public on whether these areas (or a certain portion of them) should receive consideration as Final WEAs, and if so, under what recommended conditions.

BOEM is providing this opportunity for comment on Secondary Areas to be transparent about two areas that the model indicated were highly suitable, as well as to give the State of Maine and its stakeholders additional options for consideration and comment given the State’s offshore wind renewable energy goals and the considerable distance of the Draft WEA from potential points of interconnection in Maine.

Final Wind Energy Area

On Mar. 15, 2024, BOEM announced the designation of a Final Wind Energy Area (Final WEA) in the Gulf of Maine. Based on the feedback received through engagement and comment periods about natural and cultural resources and current ocean uses, the Final WEA, about 2 million acres, represents an 80% reduction from the Call Area and a 43% reduction from the Draft WEA. The Final WEA has the potential to support generation of 32 GW of clean energy, surpassing current state goals for offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Maine: 10 GW for Massachusetts and 3 GW for Maine. Therefore, the size of the Final WEA will allow BOEM to consider additional deconfliction, while also supporting the region’s renewable energy goals and the potential for multiple lease sales, as BOEM continues to evaluate a phased leasing approach.

Gulf of Maine Wind Energy Area Identification Memo
- Final NCCOS Report: A Wind Energy Area Siting Analysis for the Gulf of Maine Call Area (Mar. 2024)
Maps
- Final WEA
- Final WEA with previous planning stages (for comparison)
- Final WEA with groundfish closure and habitat management areas
- Final WEA (shapefile)

BOEM will conduct an environmental review of the Final WEA to assess potential impacts from offshore wind leasing activities (i.e., site characterization and site assessment activities). The Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) will publish in the Federal Register on Mar. 18, 2024, which will initiate a 30-day public comment period. 

Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Assessment for Gulf of Maine (03/18/24)

History of Individual Gulf of Maine State Activities:

Maine
New Hampshire (New Hampshire renewable energy activities are fully captured by this regional Gulf of Maine page)
Massachusetts

GoME PSN Lease Areas Gray — Gulf of Maine Proposed Lease Areas

Proposed Sale Notice

As a result of BOEM’s April 30, 2024, announcement (see below), on June 18, 2024, BOEM held an auction seminar for prospective bidders, which was open to the public.

Gulf of Maine Proposed Sale Notice (see Proposed Sale Notice Details tab for more information)
Proposed Lease Document (representative of all 8 leases)
Proposed Lease, Addendum A (for all 8 leases)
Bidder's Financial Form (BFF)
BFF Addendum
Maps
Visual Simulation

Draft Environmental Assessment

Notice of Availability of Gulf of Maine Draft EA (BOEM-2024-0030)
Draft EA and Appendices: Commercial Wind Lease Issuance and Site Assessment Activities on the Gulf of Maine

The NOA initiated a 30-day public comment period that ended on July 22, 2024. During the public comment period, BOEM hosted two virtual meetings on the following dates:

Monday, July 8, 2024
- Meeting Recording
Wednesday, July 10, 2024
- Meeting Recording

Final Environmental Assessment

On September 6, 2024, BOEM announced the availability of its final Environmental Assessment (EA) of the Wind Energy Area (WEA) located in the Gulf of Maine.

Research Lease Execution

On August 19, 2024, BOEM announced the execution of the nation’s first floating offshore wind energy research lease. The lease area covers a little less than 15,000 acres located 28 nautical miles offshore Maine on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf and could allow for the deployment of up to 12 floating offshore wind turbines capable of generating up to 144 megawatts of renewable energy. The State of Maine has designated Pine Tree Offshore Wind, LLC as the operator for the research lease (OCS-A 0553).

Research Lease Final Environmental Assessment

On May 29, 2024, BOEM published the “Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Assessment for a Wind Energy Research Lease on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Maine” in the Federal Register.

After carefully considering alternatives described and analyzed in the Final Environmental Assessment (Final EA), as well as comments from the public and cooperating and consulting agencies on the Draft EA, BOEM has found there would be no significant impact on the environment as a result of lease issuance.

Research Lease Offering

Maine Research Lease Area — Gulf of Maine Research Lease

On May 24, 2024, BOEM offered the research lease to the State of Maine. The State of Maine has 30 days to accept, reject or request modifications to the lease.

BOEM has offered Maine a 15,000-acre research lease area adjacent to and just southwest of the area Maine originally requested, and within the Request for Competitive Interest area, BOEM is restricting the area proposed for development to 9,700 acres, which is the size of the area requested by Maine in its 2021 application. The lease area is located 28 nautical miles (nm) offshore the mainland coast of Maine and has the potential to consist of up to 12 floating offshore wind turbines.

The location and size of the research lease was determined through a collaborative process between BOEM, the State of Maine, USCG and NCCOS to determine an area of the OCS that would facilitate the requested research in as deconflicted an area as possible. Ultimately, the USCG advised that the area proposed by the State of Maine in its October 2021 application represented a significant risk to navigational safety.

Research Lease Area

Research Lease History

On October 1, 2021, BOEM received an application from the State of Maine for a research lease requesting 9,700 acres on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf in a location more than 20 nautical miles off the Maine coast. If developed, the research site would consist of up to 12 floating offshore wind turbines capable of generating up to 144 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy.

gulf_of_maine_rfci_area — **Gulf of Maine RFCI Area**

Request for Competitive Interest

On Aug.19, 2022, BOEM published a Request for Competitive Interest (RFCI) for the Gulf of Maine in the Federal Register for a 45-day public comment period. Comment submissions can be viewed by visiting Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In the search box at the top of the webpage, enter BOEM-2022-0041 and then click “search.”

BOEM issued this RFCI because regulations require that BOEM identify whether or not there is competitive commercial interest in any area that is the subject of an unsolicited lease request.

Gulf of Maine: Next Steps for Commercial & Research Planning & Leasing

On Aug. 19, 2022, BOEM also published a separate Request for Interest (RFI), the first step in the commercial planning and leasing process. More information on that process can be found on the https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/gulf-maine/gulf-maine-commercial-planning-and-leasing-process.

Determination of No Competitive Interest

On Jan.19, 2023, BOEM announced its “Determination of No Competitive Interest” for a research lease proposed by the State of Maine. BOEM’s determination means that the bureau will move forward to process the state’s research application, which could be used to inform any future commercial offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine. On Mar. 20, 2023, BOEM published the Notice of Determination of No Competitive Interest (DNCI) in a Proposed Research Lease Area on the Gulf of Maine Outer Continental Shelf in the Federal Register.

The determination of no competitive interest in the RFCI area does not guarantee that the State of Maine will receive a research lease. The next steps for processing the research application include publishing a Determination of No Competitive Interest in the Federal Register and initiating an environmental review of potential impacts from offshore wind leasing activities associated with the research lease.

Environmental Assessment

On May 3, 2023, BOEM announced the publication of the Gulf of Maine’s Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) for a wind energy research lease on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf offshore Maine in the Federal Register on May.4,2023. The publication opened a 30-day public comment period which closed on Jun. 5, 2023. 

Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for a Wind Energy Research Lease on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Maine

On July 21, 2023, the Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Draft EA for the proposed Gulf of Maine Research Lease published in the Federal Register. The following documents are available for viewing: 

During the comment period, BOEM held two virtual public meetings for the Draft EA. For more information, see the Gulf of Maine Research Lease Virtual Meeting Room.

On May 29, 2024, the Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Final EA for the proposed Gulf of Maine Research Lease published in the Federal Register. The following documents are available for viewing:

Gulf of Maine Research Lease Final EA Notice of Availability

Finding of Effect

Under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), BOEM is conducting a Section 106 review associated with the wind energy research lease on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf offshore Maine. After providing the public the opportunity to review and comment, BOEM provided a Finding of Effect (FOE), November 2, 2023. The document is available for viewing: