The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced this week that it has issued a final environmental assessment (EA) on the potential impacts of offshore wind leasing on the US Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM ).
BOEM, which emphasized that the latest action is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of enabling 30 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030, described the move as a key milestone toward the first potential sale of offshore wind lease in the GOM. The organization stated that, based on the EA’s analysis, it issued a finding of no significant impact on environmental resources.
Looking ahead, BOEM noted that if it decides to proceed with the sale, it will issue a final notice of sale at least 30 days before the sale, which it said will announce the time and date of the lease sale and the companies qualified for sale. participate in it
For any proposed offshore wind project, BOEM said it will develop environmental impact statements (EIS) to analyze the projects’ specific environmental consequences before deciding whether to approve them. The EIS will be prepared in consultation with tribes and appropriate government agencies and will be informed by input provided by key stakeholders, ocean users and the public, BOEM said.
“The completion of our environmental review is an important step in advancing the development of clean energy in a responsible manner while promoting economic vitality and good-paying jobs in the Gulf of Mexico region,” he said. said the director of BOEM, Liz Klein, in a press release from the organization.
“We will continue to work closely with our task force members, ocean users and others to ensure that any development in the region is done responsibly and in a way that avoids, reduces or mitigates potential impacts on users oceans and the marine environment,” added Klein.
Commenting on BOEM’s completed environmental review, National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Erik Milito said the organization’s announcement “is an important step toward building the offshore wind sector to the United States”.
“The Gulf of Mexico has long been recognized for its position as a leading offshore energy hub, leading through barrels of low-carbon oil, and this achievement highlights its history of innovation and leadership,” added Milito in the statement sent to Rigzone. .
“The new offshore wind lease sales, along with the resumption of a long-term oil and gas lease program, provide a foundation for the continued success of the company’s remarkable and irreplaceable energy portfolio. Gulf of Mexico,” Milito continued.
In the statement, Milito said the synergy between offshore oil and gas and offshore wind is “nothing short of remarkable.”
“NOIA member companies have been instrumental in the development and construction of offshore oil and gas projects as well as offshore wind projects,” he said.
“With the introduction of offshore wind on the Gulf Coast, many local companies will now have the opportunity to participate in the construction of new wind projects closer to home,” he added.
“The U.S. offshore energy sector benefits Americans from all walks of life, and that relationship will be strengthened with new offshore wind opportunities. We are excited about the offshore wind opportunity in the Gulf of Mexico Milito said.
BOEM noted that its latest announcement was made possible by the work of the Gulf of Mexico Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force, which is a collaboration between tribal, federal, state and local government agencies. BOEM said it will continue to meet with the task force as the process moves forward.
On October 31, 2022, BOEM announced that it had completed two Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) in the Gulf of Mexico, which it said at the time had the potential to produce enough clean wind energy to power nearly three million of households The first WEA is located approximately 24 nautical miles off the coast of Galveston, Texas, and totals 508,265 acres, and the second is approximately 56 nm off the coast of Lake Charles, Louisiana, and totals 174,275 acres. highlight BOEM at that time.
On February 22, 2023, the DOI proposed the first offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico. In a statement from the organization at the time, the DOI noted that the announcement was part of the administration’s latest actions to expand offshore wind opportunities in more regions of the country.
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