BOEM seeks public input on Gulf of Maine draft enviro review

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is awaiting public input on its draft Environmental Assessment (EA) of an offshore wind zone in the Gulf of Maine with a 15-GW deployment potential.

The specific wind energy area (WEA) includes eight separate sites with a total area of almost one million acres, the government agency said on Thursday. It will collect feedback during a 30-day period ending July 22, 2024.

The draft EA relates to the potential of holding commercial wind energy lease sales off Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. It follows a proposal by the Department of the Interior for opening the areas for commercial development through simultaneous auctions for each one of them.

Comments on BOEM’s findings are needed for a final EA, which will allow the governmental agency to decide whether to proceed with a commercial wind energy lease sale.

If fully deployed, the eight zones could host turbines that will be able to generate electricity for over 5 million homes.

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