BOEM Defines Three Wind Energy Areas Off North Carolina

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has defined three Wind Energy Areas offshore North Carolina, which total approximately 307,590 acres, for potential commercial wind energy development.

The Wind Energy Areas, announced yesterday by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, include the Kitty Hawk Wind Energy Areas (about 122,405 acres), the Wilmington West Wind Energy Areas (about 51,595 acres) and the Wilmington East Wind Energy Areas (about 133,590 acres).

BOEM has awarded five commercial wind energy leases off the Atlantic coast: two non-competitive leases (for the proposed Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound and an area off Delaware) and three competitive leases (two offshore Massachusetts-Rhode Island and another offshore Virginia). The competitive lease sales generated more than $5 million in high bids for more than 277,500 acres in federal waters. BOEM will hold a competitive auction for an area offshore Maryland on Aug.19, 2014, and expects to hold additional competitive auctions for wind energy areas offshore Massachusetts and New Jersey in the coming year.

“Today is a significant step forward in facilitating the responsible development of renewable, clean energy offshore the United States and a true testament to the dedication of the North Carolina Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force to ensure that we are moving forward in a safe and smart manner,” said BOEM Acting Director Walter Cruickshank.

Consistent with the Interior Department’s “Smart from the Start” strategy for offshore wind, each of the three Wind Energy Areas has been designed to make available areas that are attractive for commercial offshore wind development, while also protecting important viewsheds, sensitive habitats and resources and minimizing space use conflicts with activities such as military operations, shipping and fishing.

For example, BOEM worked closely with the United States Coast Guard to ensure that development in the identified areas would not pose significant risks to navigational safety. BOEM also worked with the National Park Service to address concerns regarding potential visual impacts to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and the Bodie Island Lighthouse. As a result, BOEM refined the areas originally considered for commercial wind energy development during the process of defining the Wind Energy Areas.