North American Windpower: BOEM Opens Lease Window For North Carolina Offshore Wind

BOEM Opens Lease Window For North Carolina Offshore Wind

by NAW Staff Thursday December 13 2012

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has issued a call for information and nominations to gauge the offshore wind industry's interest in acquiring commercial wind leases in three areas off the coast of North Carolina.

In consultation with the North Carolina Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force, BOEM has identified three areas on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore North Carolina where commercial wind energy leasing could take place. The three call areas are composed of 195 whole OCS blocks and 60 partial blocks, totaling 1,441 square nautical miles. One area is located six miles offshore Kitty Hawk, and two areas are located seven and 13 miles offshore southern Wilmington.

According to BOEM, each of the three call areas have been designed to make available areas that are attractive for commercial offshore wind development while also protecting sensitive habitats and resources and minimizing space use conflicts with activities such as military operations, shipping and fishing.

Site-specific mitigation measures, stipulations or exclusion areas may be developed as a result of future environmental reviews and associated consultations, notes the agency.

In addition to the call, BOEM is publishing in the Federal Register a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental assessment (EA). Through the NOI, BOEM is seeking public comment for determining significant issues and alternatives to be analyzed in the EA. The EA will consider potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts associated with issuing commercial wind leases and approving site assessment activities on the lease areas.

The call and the NOI will be published in the Federal Register on Dec. 13, and BOEM will accept public comments for 45 days.

For information on responding to the call, click here:

Latest Top Stories

Post-FIT Decision, Turbine OEMs Mull Over Options For Ontario Wind Energy Market

Under political pressure, the Ontario government recently pulled the plug on its landmark feed-in tariff (FIT) program for large-scale renewable energy projects, leaving provincial suppliers and manufacturers with an uncertain future.

Continent's First Grid-Connected Offshore Wind Turbine Floats In Maine Waters

Billed as a historic day for offshore wind in North America, researchers flipped the switch on a floating prototype. This marks the first electrons from an offshore wind turbine to flow into the region's grid.

Raising The Discourse: How Wind Industry Can Help Avoid 'Climate Emergency'

Larry Schweiger, the president/CEO at the National Wildlife Federation, says the wind industry is an important ally to combat global warming, which is triggering dangerous and unprecedented weather events around the world.

The Numbers Don't Lie: U.S. Utilities Continue To Embrace Wind Energy

Last year, more than 40% of U.S. utilities reported having wind energy on their systems, proving the fact that utilities continue to integrate wind in growing numbers – and, in some cases, at unprecedented levels.

BOEM To Award Mass., R.I. Offshore Wind Leases; Pre-Qualifies Nine Developers

In July, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will auction nearly 165,000 acres off the coasts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts to facilitate offshore wind development.