US BOEM Issues Calls for Information and Nominations for Offshore Wind Areas in Central Atlantic and Offshore Oregon
On April 27, 2022, the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued two separate calls for information and nominations (Calls) for possible leasing areas for offshore wind energy development in the Central Atlantic (Central Atlantic Call) and offshore Oregon (Oregon Call). Publication of these Calls in the Federal Register is scheduled for April 29, 2022, and will initiate a 60-day public comment period, which will end at 11:59 p.m. ET on June 28, 2022.
Central Atlantic Call
The Central Atlantic Call seeks information on six distinct areas in the Central Atlantic comprising almost 3.9 million acres, which is depicted on the map below.
The closest point to the shore of any of the areas is approximately 20 nautical miles off the Central Atlantic coast. (Additional information on the Central Atlantic Call can be found at BOEM’s Central Atlantic webpage.) Importantly, portions of two of the areas (areas D and F) fall within the boundary for the upcoming offshore leasing moratorium, as former President Trump's September 2020 memorandum provides: “I hereby withdraw from disposition by leasing for 10 years, beginning on July 1, 2022, and ending on June 30, 2032: The portion of the area designated by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management as the Mid Atlantic Planning Area that lies south of the northern administrative boundary of North Carolina,” the administrative boundary depicted on the Atlantic NAD 83 Federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Administrative Boundaries map. Therefore, BOEM can move forward with planning and analysis for all of the Central Atlantic Call areas, but it will not be able to issue new leases in portions of areas D and F until the moratorium is lifted or ends.
Oregon Call
The Oregon Call requests information on two areas that together comprise approximately 1.158 million acres, which are depicted on the map below. Both areas—the Coos Bay Call Area and the Brookings Call Area—begin about 12 nautical miles from shore at their closest points, off the coast of central and southern Oregon, respectively. For more information on the Call, including a map of the areas and instructions for commenting, see BOEM’s Oregon webpage.
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