US military's offshore wind conflict fears 'a stark reminder' for industry
American Clean Power says 'all of government approach' needed as maps emerge showing potential overlap with DoD priorities
Military operational concerns raised by the US Department of Defense (DoD) over the location of proposed offshore wind power zones in the Central Atlantic are a “stark reminder” of the need for a coordinated approach to development off the nation's coasts, said one industry body.
News of the DoD's concerns came as yet another potential headwind for the US offshore wind sector, which is already seeing pushback over issues as diverse as alleged harm to marine life and tribal rights.
The military's views will be “taken into consideration” during the development process, according to federal regulators.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), lead agency overseeing energy development in federal waters, has a “long working relationship with DoD, and together we have successfully deconflicted and identified areas that have resulted in 27 leases, covering over 2.1 million acres,” the regulator said.
“We will continue this collaboration as we seek to identify new lease areas in the Central Atlantic,” BOEM added.
Similar concerns by DoD in California saw the 4.4GW Diablo Canyon wind energy call area near Morro Bay withdrawn from BOEM's leasing process.
“Leasing in the Central Atlantic is critical to growing the offshore wind industry to meet state and federal clean energy goals,” said JC Sandberg, chief advocacy officer for renewable energy advocate American Clean Power Association (ACP).
The DoD maps “serve as a stark reminder that there’s work to do. We need a coordinated, all-of-government approach to offshore wind to ensure that the industry can grow while protecting national security interests at the same time,” said Sandberg.
John Begala, vice president of federal policy for trade group the Business Network for Offshore Wind said: “National security is a critical issue, both in terms of safeguarding America’s coasts and ensuring our energy security.”
To meet both goals, Begala said the Biden administration must work “to advance the process in the Central Atlantic in a way that accommodates defence conflicts while ensuring a robust offshore wind industry can evolve.”
BOEM noted that it has been working with the DoD for over a decade in the Central Atlantic, and because the two government bodies were already collaborating, it “did not incorporate a DoD compatibility assessment in the draft WEAs”.
BOEM is currently analysing DoD’s assessment and will “take it into consideration” when identifying final WEAs. Once the WEAs are approved, BOEM can move towards lease sales, pushed back from mid-2023 to early next year.