US greenlights Oregon offshore wind leasing with release of environmental review
Federal regulator defies stakeholders' calls to delay sale of two Pacific Ocean deepwater areas until 2025 release of state industry 'Roadmap'
The US government sought to maintain momentum in offshore wind leasing with publication Tuesday (13 August) of a final environmental assessment (EA) for two areas slated for potential development off the Pacific Northwest state of Oregon, clearing them for sale.
Coastal regulator Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced a finding of “no significant impacts to people or the environment” from site assessment activities related to leasing in the Coos Bay and Brookings wind energy areas (WEAs).
All of the areas are in deep waters exceeding 1,000-metres, necessitating floating platforms. BOEM anticipates leasing the two WEAs in October.
“BOEM relies on the best available science and information for our decision-making regarding offshore wind activities,” said director Elizabeth Klein.
“Working with Tribes, government partners, ocean users, and the public, we gathered a wealth of data, diverse perspectives, and valuable insights that shaped our environmental analysis.”
Release of the final EA was delayed after BOEM extended the public commenting period by two weeks in May to allow greater stakeholder feedback.
Oregon’s offshore wind journey has so far been strewn with obstacles particularly from fisheries and Tribes that fear the industry will cause irreparable damage to coastal ecosystems.
BOEM clarified that any leases sold in the WEAs would not automatically “authorise the construction or operations of an offshore wind energy facility”.
Leases instead confer the right to submit a project plan that would be subject to an intense environmental impact statement (EIS), with no guarantee of success, BOEM said.
“We remain committed to continuing this close coordination to ensure potential offshore wind energy leasing and any future development in Oregon is done in a way that avoids, reduces, or mitigates potential impacts to ocean users and the marine environment,” said Klein.
Critics however see political risk driving BOEM to an accelerated leasing schedule ahead of the US presidential election in November.
President Joe Biden's administration has targeted 30GW of offshore wind by 2030, which is widely expected to be wide of the mark but has nevertheless galvanised development on three coasts.
Still, the race remains tight in battleground states and a Trump victory would likely halt the Biden administration's plans for 12 lease sales by 2028.
A final sale notice (FSN) will be published at least 30 days prior to the sale, detailing the time and date of the lease sale and qualified participants.
(Copyright)