BOEM Sets New Date for Atlantic OCS Lease Input

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has extended the comment period for the Proposed Path Forward for Future Offshore Renewable Energy Leasing on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) until 5 July 2018.

The deadline, initially scheduled for 21 May, has been postponed as a result of stakeholder requests for an extension of the input period, according to BOEM.

The US bureau welcomes comments on all aspects of the proposed path forward, with emphasis on the merits and other potential factors that should be considered at this preliminary stage.

Stakeholders should submit their input electronically or postmarked no later than 11:59 p.m. local time, while the notice regarding the deadline change is expected to be published in the Federal Register in the near future.

BOEM is conducting a high-level assessment of all US Atlantic Coast waters for potential future offshore wind lease locations, taking into consideration areas greater than 10nm from shore and shallower than 60m, areas not previously removed and for which the industry has expressed interest, as well as those adjacent to states with offshore wind economic incentives or to states interested in identifying additional lease areas.

The sites which will be excluded from the lease include the ones prohibited by the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act for leasing, Department of Defense conflict areas and chartered marine vessel traffic routes.

Currently, several states on the US Atlantic Coast are committed to developing over 8GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.