BOEM hosted the Gulf of Maine Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force meeting on May 10-11, 2023, at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine. Recordings of the livestream are available on this page: Gulf of Maine Task Force Meeting - May 10-11, 2023.
Gulf of Maine Environmental Assessment (Research Lease Application)
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 initiates a 30-day public comment period through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Jun. 5, 2023. During this period, BOEM seeks public input regarding important environmental issues and the identification of reasonable alternatives that should be considered in the EA.
Click on the Research Lease Application tab for more information.
How to Comment
BOEM will accept nominations and public comments through 11:59 p.m. ET on June 5, 2023.
To submit comments electronically, visit:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: This is the federal government’s official commenting website. Go to www.regulations.gov. In the field titled “Enter Keyword or ID,” enter BOEM-2023-0031, and then click “search.” Follow the instructions to submit public comments and view supporting and related materials available for this notice.
Gulf of Maine’s Call for Information and Nominations (Commercial Leasing)
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 publication of the Call in the Federal Register on Apr. 26, 2023, initiates a 45-day public comment period.
See the Commercial Leasing tab for more information.
How to Comment
BOEM will accept nominations and public comments through 11:59 p.m. ET on June 12, 2023.
To submit comments electronically, visit:
Federal eRulemaking Portal:http://www.regulations.gov. In the field titled, “Enter Keyword or ID,” enter BOEM-2023-0025 and then click “search.” Follow the instructions to submit public comments and view supporting and related material.
After the public comment period closes, BOEM will review and analyze commercial nominations and public comments submitted in response to the Call. BOEM will also consider information from government and Tribal consultations, and the Gulf of Maine Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force.
The purpose of the meeting is to update task force members and the public on BOEM’s commercial and research offshore wind energy planning activities and to discuss next steps for the Gulf of Maine, including a Call for Information and Nominations. More information about the meeting can be found through this page: Gulf of Maine Task Force Meeting - May 10-11, 2023.
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)
Gulf of Maine RFI Area
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
History of Individual Gulf of Maine State Activities:
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.
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.
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 Jun. 5,2023. The publication opened a 30-day public comment period.
