In support of the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has announced it will initiate the environmental review of a proposed wind energy project offshore New Jersey, which would deliver clean renewable energy to the region.
On March 18, BOEM will publish a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) submitted by Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, LLC (Atlantic Shores). This is the 12th offshore wind energy COP environmental review initiated under the Biden-Harris administration.
At its closest point, the approx. 81,129-acre lease area, OCS-A 0549, known as Atlantic Shores North, is located 8.4 miles from the New Jersey coast and approx. 60 miles from New York. A map of the lease area can be found on BOEM’s website.
The Atlantic Shores’ proposal currently includes installation of up to 157 wind turbine generators, eight offshore substations, one permanent meteorological tower, and two temporary metocean buoys - for a total of up to 168 offshore structures. The COP also proposes two potential export cable corridors that would make landfall at: (1) Sea Girt, New Jersey, and (2) in either the New York City area or near Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Since the start of the Biden-Harris administration, the Department of the Interior has approved the nation's first six commercial scale offshore wind projects, held four offshore wind lease auctions – including a record-breaking sale offshore New York and the first-ever sale offshore the Pacific and Gulf Coasts, initiated environmental review of 10 offshore wind projects, and advanced the process to explore additional Wind Energy Areas in Oregon, Gulf of Maine and Central Atlantic. The Department has also taken steps to evolve its approach to offshore wind to drive towards union-built projects and a domestic based supply chain.
'BOEM is continuing to implement the Biden-Harris administration’s clean energy agenda, while maintaining a careful approach to prevent, reduce, and address any adverse effects on ocean users and the marine ecosystem,' said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. 'As an integral part of our environmental assessments, we will continue to actively solicit feedback from Tribes; federal, state, and local government partners; the fishing community; and the public to help guide our actions.'
Public Meetings and Comment Period
The publication of the NOI in the Federal Register on March 18, 2024, will open a 45-day public comment period for the Atlantic Shores North EIS, ending at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 2, 2024. BOEM proactively extended its standard 30-day comment period to 45 days in order to account for the Vineyard Northeast NOI 45-day public comment period expected later this month.
The public comment period for the NOI will help identify important relevant information that BOEM may consider as part of its environmental review of the Atlantic Shores North project COP. Throughout the scoping process, multiple opportunities exist for the public to help BOEM determine the important resources and issues, impact-producing factors, reasonable alternatives, and potential mitigating measures that should be analyzed in the EIS. BOEM will review the comments to identify issues and potential alternatives for consideration in the Atlantic Shores North Draft EIS.
During the public comment period, BOEM will hold two virtual and three in-person public meetings.
Source: BOEM
