The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is publishing a call for information and nominations for possible wind energy leasing off the coast of the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.
This call will gather public comments to inform potential leasing areas, and results from close collaboration with the government of Guam, which aims to generate 50 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2035 and 100 percent by 2045.
The call will publish on Jan. 6, initiating a 90-day comment period ending on April 7, during which time the public can submit relevant information on site conditions, marine resources, and ocean uses near or within the call area. Concurrently, wind energy companies can nominate specific areas they would like to see offered for leasing.
During the call comment period, BOEM will engage with indigenous peoples, stakeholder organizations, ocean users, federal agencies, the government of Guam, and other parties to identify conflicts early in the process as BOEM seeks to identify areas where offshore wind development would have the least impact. This information will be used to significantly narrow the area to be considered for future offshore wind leasing.
The call requests information on one contiguous area around the island that comprises approximately 2.1 million acres. The area begins about three nautical miles from shore at its closest points, in water depths ranging from approximately 350 to 2,200 meters.
For more information on the Guam call, including a map of the area and instructions for commenting, see BOEM’s Guam webpage.
