US takes next step in 120GW-potential Gulf of Maine floating wind with draft 'call area'
Deep waters off northern New England hold excellent resources but are also home for multiple stakeholders in an environmentally sensitive area
The US is advancing some 120GW of potential floating wind in the blustery reaches of the Gulf of Maine with the establishment of a draft “call area”, setting the region up as a major player in the nascent sector.
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), lead regulator of energy development on the US outer continental shelf (OCS), announced its “Call for Information and Nominations” for the Gulf of Maine Tuesday.
The call area designation gauges commercial interest in floating wind development off New England states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.
“BOEM is committed to transparent, inclusive and data-driven processes, and public input is essential to helping us determine areas that may be suitable for offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine,” said BOEM director Elizabeth Klein. “We are still early in the planning and leasing process, and we look forward to the multiple future opportunities for engagement.”
The call area follows the bureau’s August 2022 publication of its “Request for Interest” (RfI) to determine if there was any commercial appetite in the Gulf of Maine’s deep waters.
“The feedback that we have received prior to this announcement has been extremely valuable in informing the process and understanding the unique dynamics that the Gulf of Maine presents,” said BOEM Project Coordinator Zach Jylkka.
As these North Atlantic waters can exceed 700 metres in depth, all of the proposed development will be floating. BOEM has scheduled the area for lease auctions in 2025.
“A robust lease sale in the Gulf of Maine will position the region as a global leader in floating offshore wind manufacturing and deployment while creating good-paying American jobs,” said Josh Kaplowitz, vice president for offshore wind for industry advocate American Clean Power Association.
BOEM said that it recognises that the call area “still includes areas that are conflicted by existing ocean uses (e.g., fishing, shipping) and by sensitive habitat that are important to the conservation and recovery of protected species.”
To deconflict the process, the bureau said it would use a powerful spatial analytical tool, called an ecosystem-wide suitability model, developed in partnership with NCCOS, to “help identify where conflicts may exist and inform decisions regarding the most appropriate WEAs to meet the states’” and the Biden administration’s offshore wind goals.
Of the three states bordering the Gulf of Maine, only Massachusetts has set a firm target of 5.6GW of offshore wind contracted by 2027.
BOEM recently declared no competitive interest in the state’s research lease, enabling the array being developed by the Pine Tree Wind consortium to forward.
Maine has not yet set a broad target for offshore wind.
New Hampshire has made tentative steps towards sector development but likewise has yet to set a target.
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