Saving Seafood

US gives key OK for 15GW floating wind area in Gulf of Maine

September 6, 2024 — US regulator Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has approved its environmental assessment (EA) for a giant floating wind area in the Gulf of Maine holding some 15GW of potential capacity.

The EA authorises developers to carry out site assessment activities such as installation of meteorological buoys and surveys, a key step allowing a lease sale to go forward. Any projects planned for the region following the lease sale will need to undergo a more thorough environmental impact statement (EIS).

Read the full article at Recharge News

BOEM Finalizes Environmental Review of Gulf of Maine Offshore Wind Commercial Leasing

September 6, 2024 — The following was released by the BOEM:

In support of the Biden-Harris administration’s goals for deploying 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030 and 15 GW of floating offshore wind energy capacity by 2035, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today announced the availability of its final Environmental Assessment (EA) of the Wind Energy Area (WEA) located in the U.S. Gulf of Maine.

The final EA evaluated the potential issuance of commercial wind energy leases off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. It considered the potential environmental impacts associated with activities such as conducting surveys and installing meteorological buoys, but not the installation of offshore turbines, which would be assessed in a separate environmental review if a leaseholder submits a project proposal. BOEM found that leasing and site assessment and characterization activities will not have a significant impact on the environment.

“BOEM is actively assessing proposed offshore wind activities in the Gulf of Maine by collaborating with Tribes, state and federal agencies, ocean users, local communities, and other stakeholders,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “We are committed to ensuring that future offshore wind development proceeds in a manner that reduces potential impacts on other ocean activities and the surrounding ecosystem.”

On April 30, 2024, the Department of the Interior announced a proposed offshore wind energy lease sale in the Gulf of Maine, which would include eight potential leasing areas within the WEA offshore Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. The eight areas total nearly one million acres and have the potential to generate approximately 15 GW of clean, renewable energy and power more than five million homes. On March 15, 2024, the Department announced that BOEM would prepare an EA on potential impacts from offshore wind energy leasing in the Gulf of Maine.

BOEM held an open comment period on the draft EA between June 21 and July 22, 2024, to receive and consider input from the public, including local communities, Tribes, and diverse ocean users. Comments submitted can be viewed on www.regulations.gov, docket BOEM-2024-0030.

For more information, see: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/maine/gulf-maine.

— BOEM —

The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) manages development of U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) energy, mineral, and geological resources in an environmentally and economically responsible way.

OREGON: 5 companies set to bid on Southern Oregon offshore wind leases

September 6, 2024 — The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management outlined how its Oct.15 auction will work in a final sale notice released Tuesday.

Five companies have qualified to participate in the auction, bringing offshore wind development experience from around the world.

Avangrid, which is owned by the Spanish electric utility Iberdrola, is the co-owner of the Vineyard Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts. That project was criticized recently after a blade detached from a turbine in mid-July, and truckloads of fiberglass debris washed up on shore, according to the Boston Globe.

Read the full article at OPB

Studies Look at Turbine Cables and Lobsters

September 5, 2024 — Two years after its first public announcement in August 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) plans to hold public auctions for eight offshore wind energy leasing areas in the Gulf of Maine this October.

During the public comment period ahead of the auction, BOEM received more than 100 comments, many of which mentioned the potential effects of floating wind turbines on the marine environment, seafood stocks, and commercial fishermen’s livelihoods.

One concern is the large power cables that will transfer electricity from the offshore wind turbines to the mainland. The power flowing through these cables generates electromagnetic fields, or EMFs, that some worry could disrupt the movement of lobsters across the seafloor or even affect their reproductive health.

Scientists who spoke with the Independent said that EMFs from offshore wind farms are not a cause for panic but do merit further investigation.

“Things aren’t just going to turn upside-down dead,” said Andrew Gill, a lead scientist at the U.K.-based Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science who has published research on the effects of undersea power cables on lobsters.

It’s important to address the concerns of fishermen with further studies, Gill added. “We need to identify what the concerns are and have the appropriately designed studies to help address them.”

Read the full article at The Provincetown Independent

Biden-Harris Administration Marks Major Milestones for Offshore Wind, Approves Tenth Project

September 4, 2024 — The following was released by BOEM:

The Biden-Harris administration today announced the approval of the Maryland Offshore Wind Project – the nation’s tenth commercial-scale offshore wind energy project approved under President Biden’s leadership. With today’s approval, the Department has approved more than 15 gigawatts of clean energy from offshore wind energy projects – equivalent to half of the capacity needed to achieve President Biden’s goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030. Projects approved to date will power 5.25 million homes.

“The clean energy future is now! Today’s milestone marks another giant leap toward our ambitious goal of unleashing 30 gigawatts of offshore energy by 2030,” said Acting Deputy Secretary Laura Daniel-Davis. “Our work to approve the nation’s first ten commercial-scale offshore wind project is the result of the tenacious public servants at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to expedite the federal permitting process. Thanks to President Biden’s bold Investing in America agenda, we’re tackling climate change head-on, sparking job growth, and ensuring that every community shares in the economic opportunities of this new era.”

Offshore Wind Energy Development: A David vs Goliath Story

September 3, 2024 — The following was released by Midwater Trawlers Cooperative:

As the aggressive pursuit to privatize and industrialize our oceans with offshore wind
turbine factories marches on, the small yet powerful voices of coastal communities
around the nation continues to fight to be heard in the process. It is a veritable David
versus Goliath story.

Goliath takes many forms. Is it BOEM? The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is
uncompromising in their quest to lease out our oceans to multinational corporations for
industrial development. I have sat face to face in Washington, DC with BOEM director
Liz Klein who claims the president is driving this quest. So, is Goliath the Biden
administration? There is no doubt that this administration has put forth unrealistic goals
for offshore wind energy at the same time they dangle delicious tax incentives to
developers looking to line their own pockets. However, these goals are in direct
opposition with other presidential executive orders looking to elevate tribal voices,
protect food security, and pursue environmental justice for marginalized communities
most impacted by climate change. The hypocrisy is alarming.

Closer to home in Oregon, I believe that Goliath may be the elitists who live in urban
settings like Portland and Salem who believe that they know best what the coastal
residents of Oregon need. Oregon is not unique; however, this story is unfolding around
the nation where urbanites believe they know best for rural communities that they do not
live or work in. These people tout their desire to uplift marginalized voices while they
steamroll rural voices, whether it is Tribes, coastal community members, or commercial
fishermen. They attempt to downplay the concerns of coastal residents, claiming “we
just don’t understand”. But here’s the thing. We actually do understand.

Those of us from multi-generational fishing families know exactly how important a
healthy ocean is to our survival. So do those of us who are new to fishing. All of us, from
the old timers to the greenhorns, understand the importance of a healthy ecosystem in
the face of climate change. Oregon Tribes are practically begging for consideration of
their traditional values and protection of their culture – again, falling on deaf ears. The
question that begs an answer- Why is our deep knowledge coupled with our concerns
for the future of tribal culture, seafood production, robust coastal community economies
and a healthy ocean environment somehow deemed less important than the unrealistic
pursuits of the urban elitists, BOEM and the Biden administration?

As David in this story, regular people – commercial and recreational fishermen, tribal
representatives, marine scientists, environmentalists, and coastal citizens continue to
show up and speak in the face of the overwhelming force of Goliath. Our story is still
unfolding. In the original story young David slays the mighty Goliath with a slingshot
and five smooth stones. Our stones are 1) potential harm to the ocean environment
and marine ecosystem and the fish species and marine mammals who live there; 2)
negative impacts to commercial fishing operations and seafood production; 3) much
more expensive utility bills for consumers; 4) disruption and harm to tribal cultures; and

5) ruination of rural coastal economies dependent in part on commercial and
recreational fishing.

We know from the original story that the small can defeat the large. We know that
David’s bravery came directly from his confidence that he was doing the right thing. We
have our courage, our stones, and our slingshot is our united voice. Will others be
brave enough to join us and stand up for what’s right? Or will rural voices continue to
be ignored? Can David beat Goliath once again?

Heather Mann, Midwater Trawlers Cooperative

August 27, 2024

Born and raised in Massachusetts, Heather Mann currently lives in coastal Oregon and
works in the commercial fishing industry.

Wind power construction noise doesn’t destroy whale habitat, feds find

August 27, 2024 — The federal government issued a new “biological opinion” on the offshore wind power project off Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, finding that pile-driving noise associated with Vineyard Wind 1 is likely to adversely affect, but not likely to jeopardize, the continued existence of whales, fish or sea turtles listed under the Endangered Species Act.

“It will have no effect on any designated critical habitat,” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries said in a statement. “NOAA Fisheries does not anticipate serious injuries to or mortalities of any ESA listed whale including the North Atlantic right whale.” The agency said that with mitigation measures, “all effects to North Atlantic right whales will be limited to temporary behavioral disturbance.”

NOAA Fisheries said Friday it was issuing its new opinion to the “federal action agencies” including Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which approved the Vineyard Wind 1 Project in 2021 and oversees offshore wind power development in federal lease areas.

Read the full story at WBUR

DELAWARE: BOEM awards more offshore wind space due east of Delaware

August 26, 2024 — Less than a month after announcing the availability of the final environmental impact statement for a proposed wind project offshore from Maryland, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has announced the results of a wind energy auction for two lease areas offshore from Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

According to a press release from BOEM, the sale, which took place Aug. 14, was the first in the region in a decade and resulted in two provisional winners totaling $92.65 million in successful bids.

Norwegian-based Equinor Wind US LLC provisionally won Lease OCS-A 0557 at roughly $75 million, which consists of 101,443 acres and is approximately 26 nautical miles from Delaware Bay. Virginia Electric and Power Co. provisionally won Lease OCS-A 0558 at roughly $17.7 million, which consists of 176,505 acres and is approximately 35 nm from the entrance of Chesapeake Bay. Six companies participated in the auction.

“Equinor’s interest in this auction is consistent with our approach to pursue attractive offshore wind opportunities in the United States,” said Molly Morris, Equinor Renewables US president, in a prepared statement shortly after the announcement was made. “The Central Atlantic region has a rapidly growing demand for electricity with widespread support for adding renewable sources of energy into the power mix.”

Read the full article at Cape Gazette

BOEM Begins Process for Second Central Atlantic Offshore Wind Sale

August 21, 2024 — The following was released by BOEM:

To further the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, and to support the offshore wind energy goals of Atlantic coast states, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today announced that it will publish a Call for Information and Nominations (Call) for a second regional offshore wind energy sale in the Central Atlantic (Central Atlantic 2). This Call invites public feedback on possible commercial wind energy development in areas off the coasts of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.

“Today’s announcement kicks off the process for a second potential auction in the Central Atlantic and provides an important avenue to solicit information as we identify potential areas that may be suitable for future offshore wind energy leasing,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “BOEM looks forward to building upon years of working with ocean users, Tribal governments, and local, state, and federal agencies as we drive toward achieving the ambitious goals of the Biden-Harris administration to fight climate change and create good-paying jobs.”

The second Central Atlantic Call represents one of the first steps in the leasing process. Today’s announcement builds upon the input and planning that led to the first Central Atlantic lease sale on August 14, 2024, the fifth offshore wind lease sale held during the Biden-Harris administration.

BOEM will publish the Commercial Leasing for Wind Power Development on the Central Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) – Central Atlantic 2 – Call for Information and Nominations in the Federal Register on August 22, 2024, which will initiate a 60-day public comment period. BOEM will accept nominations and comments through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 21, 2024. BOEM will also host several virtual and in-person public meetings in September and October, including a virtual Task Force meeting via Zoom on September 10-11, 2024. To find out more information and to register, go to: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/central-atlantic-2-public-meetings.

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 Tribal consultations and the Central Atlantic Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force to further evaluate the appropriateness of the Call Area for offshore wind energy development and identify draft wind energy areas (WEAs). BOEM will conduct environmental reviews of the WEAs in consultation with the appropriate federal agencies, Tribes, state and local governments, and key stakeholders. After completing its environmental reviews and consultations, BOEM may propose a competitive lease sale for areas within the WEAs.

The Central Atlantic 2 Call Area consists of 13,476,805 acres off New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina Coasts. The Call Area is broad to allow for flexibility to minimize conflicts with other uses, such as commercial fisheries, military activities, and vessel traffic. BOEM will collaborate with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science to help identify where conflicts may exist and inform decisions regarding the most appropriate locations for WEAs.

For more information on Central Atlantic 2, go to https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/central-atlantic.

BOEM seeks public input on possible wind energy areas

August 21, 2024 — Bureau of Ocean Energy Management officials are asking for feedback on possible commercial wind energy development in areas totaling 13.47 million acres off the coasts of North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, or Central Atlantic 2.

BOEM announced Wednesday that it will publish in the Federal Register on Thursday a call for information and nominations for a second regional offshore wind energy sale in the Central Atlantic 2, one of the first steps in the leasing process. Publishing the call will initiate a 60-day public comment period that ends 11:59 p.m. Oct. 21. Information on how to comment is to be posted Thursday at regulations.gov. Search for BOEM-2024-0040.

Read the full article at CoastalReview.org