The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has announced the availability of its draft Environmental Assessment (EA) of the Wind Energy Area (WEA) located in the U.S. Gulf of Maine.
The draft EA analyses the potential issuance of commercial wind energy leases offshore Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. It considers the potential environmental impacts associated with activities such as surveys and installation of meteorological buoys, but not the installation of offshore turbines, which would be covered by a separate environmental review if a project proposal is submitted by a leaseholder.
In April 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 renewable energy.
The notice of availability of the draft EA announces the start of the public review and comment period, as well as the dates and times for public meetings. Input from the public will be used to develop a final EA, which will inform BOEM’s decision on whether to hold a commercial wind energy lease sale.
