The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced the availability of its final Environmental Assessment (EA) of the possible effects of issuing leases for potential offshore wind energy development off the Oregon coast, including site assessment and site characterization activities such as geophysical, geological, and archaeological surveys. The EA concluded that lease issuance would have no significant effects on people or the environment.
“BOEM relies on the best available science and information for our decision-making regarding offshore wind activities,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “Working with Tribes, government partners, ocean users, and the public, we gathered a wealth of data, diverse perspectives, and valuable insights that shaped our environmental analysis. We remain committed to continuing this close coordination to ensure potential offshore wind energy leasing and any future development in Oregon is done in a way that avoids, reduces, or mitigates potential impacts to ocean users and the marine environment.”
Since the start of the Biden/Harris administration, the Department of the Interior has approved the nation’s first nine commercial-scale offshore wind energy projects. BOEM has held four offshore wind lease auctions, including sales offshore New York, New Jersey, and the Carolinas; and the first ever sales offshore the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts. BOEM is exploring additional offshore wind energy development opportunities in the US, including in the Gulf of Maine and offshore the US Territories. The department also continues to take steps to evolve its approach to offshore wind to drive toward union-built projects and a domestic-based supply chain.
On 30 April 30, the Department of the Interior announced a proposed offshore wind lease sale for two Wind Energy Areas in Oregon (Fig. 1). BOEM said it expects to hold an Oregon offshore wind energy lease sale later this year. A final sale notice will be published at least 30 days before the sale, detailing the time and date of the lease sale and qualified participants.
Any leases that might be issued from the sale would not authorize the construction or operation of an offshore wind energy facility. Rather, a lease provides the lessee with the right to submit a project plan for BOEM’s review. For any future proposed offshore wind projects, BOEM will develop an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the specific effects of those projects before making decisions on whether to approve the proposed construction and operations plan. The EISs will be prepared in consultation with Tribes and appropriate government agencies and informed by input from stakeholders, ocean users, and the public.
In May, BOEM published its draft EA that assessed the potential effects associated with issuing wind energy leases offshore Oregon. The public comment period for the draft EA was extended at the request of several commenters and ended on 14 June 14.
BOEM will continue to work through its Oregon Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force, which includes representatives from federal, state, and local agencies and Tribal governments, to coordinate on potential leasing and support ongoing stakeholder engagement processes on broader offshore wind considerations — for example, state-led development of a strategic roadmap on offshore wind, which can help inform the multiyear process for proposed projects.