On April 11, 2018, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published in the Federal Register a Call for Information and Nominations (Call) for Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf in the New York Bight. The Call is not itself a leasing announcement, but the four areas described in the Call may become available for leasing in the future. BOEM will use responses to the Call to gauge interest in acquiring commercial wind leases in these areas.
Located south of Long Island and east of New Jersey, the four Call Areas cover a total of approximately 2,047 square nautical miles and have been designated as Fairways North, Fairways South, Hudson North, and Hudson South.
BOEM requests comments and information from interested and affected parties about site conditions, resources, and multiple uses in close proximity to, or within, the Call Areas that would be relevant to BOEM’s consideration of potential commercial wind energy leasing in those areas.
To support the public comment process, the Northeast Ocean Data Portal has added the four Call Areas to its interactive maps. The Energy and Infrastructure theme map shows the Call Areas along with other energy planning areas and existing energy facilities. The Data Explorer interactive map can show the Call Areas in the context of other ocean uses, such as commercial squid fishing vessel activity, cargo vessel traffic, and recreational boating, and in an ecosystem context. For example, the Data Explorer provides maps focusing specifically on bird species with higher vulnerability to offshore wind energy projects (as determined by BOEM), including higher collision sensitivity (total abundance or species richness) and higher displacement sensitivity (total abundance or species richness).
BOEM will accept nominations and comments until May 29, 2018. For information on how to submit comments, visit https://www.boem.gov/New-York.
Links to examples of interactive maps:
- Energy and Infrastructure Theme Map
- BOEM New York Bight Call Areas
- Call Areas + Commercial Squid Fishing Vessel Activity
- Call Areas + Cargo Vessel Traffic
- Call Areas + Recreational Boating
- Call Areas + Birds with Higher Collision Sensitivity (Total Abundance)
- Call Areas + Birds with Higher Collision Sensitivity (Species Richness)
- Call Areas + Birds with Higher Displacement Sensitivity (Total Abundance)
- Call Areas + Birds with Higher Displacement Sensitivity (Species Richness)
