OFFSHORE WIND PROJECTS

Click the links in the table below to access information associated with operational and proposed offshore wind energy projects from Maine to North Carolina. Links lead to the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM’s) pages on each project, interactive Portal maps of each lease area where a project is located, and interactive Portal maps of any available project-specific data. For a series of maps related to offshore wind in the Northeast, visit the Energy and Infrastructure theme maps to view all Planning Areas, Projects in Review, and Permitted Projects.

BOEM is the lead federal agency authorized to issue leases, easements, and rights of way to allow for renewable energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The four distinct phases of BOEM’s renewable energy program are shown below the table. Other entities, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and states, also have roles in the development and permitting process, which is beyond the scope of this web page.

Click on each Project Name to view BOEM status updates and any available public meeting information.

Project Name Linked to BOEM page with details and public meeting info	Lease Number Linked to Portal map	Lessee / Parent Company	Status / Public comment	Project Location Footprint, cable route(s), and/or turbine locations (as available)
Block Island Wind Farm	State lease	Deepwater Wind New England LLC / Orsted North America Inc.	Operation	Map
Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind - Pilot	OCS-A 0497	Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Mines Minerals and Energy	Operation	Map
Vineyard Wind 1	OCS-A 0501	Vineyard Wind 1 LLC / Avangrid Renewables LLC & Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners	Environmental Review and Permitting Complete	Map
South Fork Wind Farm	OCS-A 0517	South Fork Wind LLC / Orsted North America Inc. & Eversource	Environmental Review and Permitting Complete	Map
Ocean Wind 1	OCS-A 0498	Ocean Wind LLC / Orsted North America Inc. & PSEG	Environmental Review and Permitting Complete	Map
Revolution Wind	OCS-A 0486	Revolution Wind LLC / Orsted North America Inc. & Eversource	Environmental Review and Permitting Complete	Map
Empire Wind	OCS-A 0512	Empire Offshore Wind LLC / Equinor Wind US & BP	BOEM FEIS	Map
Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind - Commercial	OCS-A 0483	Virginia Electric and Power Company – Dominion Energy	BOEM DEIS	Map
Sunrise Wind	OCS-A 0487	Sunrise Wind LLC / Orsted North America Inc. & Eversource	BOEM DEIS	Map
New England Wind (Phase 1: Park City Wind; Phase 2: Commonwealth Wind)	OCS-A 0534	Park City Wind LLC	BOEM DEIS	Map
SouthCoast Wind	OCS-A 0521	SouthCoast Wind Energy LLC / Ocean Winds & Shell	BOEM DEIS	Map
Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 1	OCS-A 0499	Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Projects 1 & 2 LLCs / Shell New Energies US LLC & EDF Renewables North America	BOEM DEIS	Map
Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 2	OCS-A 0499	Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Projects 1 & 2 LLCs / Shell New Energies US LLC & EDF Renewables North America	BOEM DEIS	Map
Kitty Hawk	OCS-A 0508	Avangrid Renewables LLC	BOEM NOI	Map
US Wind	OCS-A 0490	US Wind Inc	BOEM NOI	Map
Beacon Wind	OCS-A 0520	Beacon Wind LLC / Equinor Wind US & BP	BOEM NOI	Map
Bay State Wind	OCS-A 0500	Bay State Wind LLC / Orsted North America Inc. & Eversource	COP Submitted
Skipjack Wind 1	OCS-A 0519	Skipjack Offshore Energy LLC / Orsted North America Inc.	COP Submitted
Garden State Offshore Energy	OCS-A 0482	GSOE LLC / Orsted North America Inc. & PSEG	SAP Approved
Vineyard Northeast	OCS-A 0522	Vineyard Northeast LLC	SAP Approved
Project name(s) to be announced	OCS-A 0532	Orsted North America Inc
Project name(s) to be announced	OCS-A 0549	Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, LLC
Project name(s) to be announced	OCS-A 0544	Mid-Atlantic Offshore Wind LLC
Project name(s) to be announced	OCS-A 0542	Invenergy Wind Offshore LLC
Project name(s) to be announced	OCS-A 0541	Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Bight LLC
Project name(s) to be announced	OCS-A 0539	Community Offshore Wind LLC
Project name(s) to be announced	OCS-A 0538	Attentive Energy LLC
Project name(s) to be announced	OCS-A 0537	Bluepoint Wind LLC
Project name(s) to be announced	OCS-A 0545	TotalEnergies Renewables USA LLC
Project name(s) to be announced	OCS-A 0546	Duke Energy Renewables Wind LLC

Last edit: September 15, 2023

Other BOEM Offshore Wind Atlantic Planning Updates Linked to BOEM page with details and public meeting info	Location Linked to Portal map	Relevant Date(s)
Final Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) in the Central Atlantic	Map	Public comment period closed August 31, 2023
Draft Environmental Assessment for a Wind Energy Research Lease on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Maine	Map	Public comment period closed August 21, 2023
Gulf of Maine Call for Information and Nominations	Map	Public comment period closed June 12, 2023
New York Bight Programmatic EIS	Map	Public comment period closed August 30, 2022

Last edit: September 1, 2023

For more detail about BOEM’s renewable energy program phases, see BOEM’s Renewable Energy Regulatory Framework and Guidelines.

1. Planning & Analysis (~2 years)

The first phase involves planning and analysis to identify the most appropriate sites for renewable energy leasing and development activities. This phase involves federally recognized tribes, other federal agencies, states, local governments, and includes mechanisms for public input. Steps in this phase could include:

Intergovernmental Task Force
Request for Information or Call for Information and Nominations
Area Identification. This can include unsolicited bids.
Environmental Reviews

2. Leasing (~1-2 years)

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires that BOEM issue leases and grants on a competitive basis, unless it determines that there is no competitive interest in the proposed lease or grant. When only one developer has indicated interest in developing a given site, BOEM may issue a lease or grant noncompetitively. If multiple developers express interest in leasing a given site, then BOEM proceeds with a competitive leasing process, which may ultimately result in a lease sale or auction. In either case, there are multiple opportunities for public involvement in the activities in this phase. In practice, all leases issued in the Northeast have been competitive.

Publish leasing notices
Conduct auction or negotiate lease terms
Issue lease(s)

3. Site Assessment (up to 5 years)

Once a lease or grant is issued, lessees have 12 months to submit a Site Assessment Plan (SAP) to BOEM that describes how they will characterize the area (e.g., conduct resource assessments, install meteorological towers or buoys). SAPs pertain to the entire lease area. After site assessment, developers often publicly announce their intent to build a project within the lease area and choose a project name. At this time, they might also begin negotiating with utility companies, states, and other entities to secure support for the project.

Site characterization
Site assessment plan

4. Construction & Operations (~2 years) (+25)

This phase includes the formal submission of a plan to construct a specific offshore wind energy facility within a lease area, the environmental review of the proposed project by BOEM with cooperating and participating agencies (includes federal and state) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the actual construction of a facility. This phase includes several steps that span many years and include public meetings and comment periods (*indicates formal public comment opportunity):

COP Submitted – developer submits Construction and Operations Plan (COP)
After BOEM approves the COP, maps showing the proposed footprint and potential layout of the project will become available on the Northeast Ocean Data Portal.
BOEM NOI – BOEM publishes a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (*)
BOEM DEIS – BOEM issues a Draft Environmental Impact Statement(*)
BOEM FEIS – BOEM issues a Final Environmental Impact Statement
BOEM ROD – BOEM issues a Record of Decision
Construction
Operation
Decommissioning

References

BOEM, 2016. A Citizen’s Guide to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Renewable Energy Authorization Process. https://www.boem.gov/KW-CG-Broch/

BOEM 2020. Renewable Energy: Regulatory Framework and Guidelines. https://www.boem.gov/Regulatory-Framework/

BOEM 2020. Renewable Energy: State Activities. https://www.boem.gov/Renewable-Energy-State-Activities/