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 Offshore Wind Map Gallery.
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.
| Project Name
Linked to BOEM page with details and public meeting info | Lease Number
Linked to Portal map | Lessee / Parent Company | Status | 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 | BOEM ROD | Map |
| South Fork Wind Farm | OCS-A 0517 | South Fork Wind LLC / Orsted North America Inc. & Eversource | BOEM FEIS | Map |
| Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind - Commercial | OCS-A 0483 | Virginia Electric and Power Company – Dominion Energy | BOEM NOI | Map |
| Empire Wind | OCS-A 0512 | Empire Offshore Wind LLC / Equinor Wind US & BP | BOEM NOI | Map |
| Ocean Wind 1 | OCS-A 0498 | Ocean Wind LLC / Orsted North America Inc. & PSEG | BOEM NOI | Map |
| Revolution Wind | OCS-A 0486 | Revolution Wind LLC / Orsted North America Inc. & Eversource | BOEM NOI | Map |
| Kitty Hawk | OCS-A 0508 | Avangrid Renewables LLC | BOEM NOI | Map |
| Vineyard Wind South (Phase 1: Park City Wind) | OCS-A 0534 | Vineyard Wind LLC / Avangrid Renewables LLC & Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners | BOEM NOI | Map |
| Sunrise Wind | OCS-A 0487 | Sunrise Wind LLC / Orsted North America Inc. & Eversource | 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 | |
| US Wind | OCS-A 0490 | US Wind Inc | COP Submitted | |
| Mayflower Wind | OCS-A 0521 | Mayflower Wind Energy LLC / EDP Renewables & Shell | ||
| Beacon Wind | OCS-A 0520 | Beacon Wind LLC / Equinor Wind US & BP | ||
| Garden State Offshore Energy | OCS-A 0482 | GSOE LLC / Orsted North America Inc. & PSEG | ||
| Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind | OCS-A 0499 | Shell New Energies US LLC & EDF Renewables North America | ||
| OCS-A 0522 | Vineyard Wind LLC / Avangrid Renewables LLC & Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners | |||
| OCS-A 0532 | Orsted North America Inc |
Last edit: August 30, 2021
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 (*)
When a project reaches this stage, a project-specific web page will become available on the Northeast Ocean Data Portal. - 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
The Northeast Ocean Data Portal Working Group would like to gratefully acknowledge the valuable contributions of Josh Wadlington in discussing, developing, and reviewing offshore wind data and information with us over the past several years.
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/