The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has invited the public to review and comment on a draft potential development of six wind lease areas offshore New York and New Jersey, in an area known as the New York Bight.
BOEM estimates that full development of leases in this area, totaling more than 488,000 acres, has the potential to create up to 7 GW of offshore energy, enough to power up to two million homes.
“BOEM welcomes input from diverse stakeholders as we work to meet President Biden’s clean-energy goals that are vitally important to the well-being of the American people,” says BOEM director Elizabeth Klein. “We look forward to receiving additional public comment to inform this first ever regional environmental review of offshore wind energy development on multiple leases. We are confident that this comprehensive approach can create efficiencies for future project-specific wind energy reviews in a manner that protects the ocean environment and marine life.”
This is the first time BOEM has conducted a regional analysis of offshore energy development and operations over multiple lease areas. The agency decided to complete a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement because of the close proximity of the six lease areas and the timing of when it expects to receive future project plans for review.
The 45-day public comment period for the “Notice of Availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Expected Wind Energy Development in the New York Bight” ends on Feb. 26.
