USA: BOEM to Determine Interest in Wind Energy Development Offshore New York

As part of the Obama Administration’s all-of-the-above energy strategy to continue to expand domestic energy development, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a request to determine whether there is competitive interest in leasing an area offshore New York that the New York Power Authority (NYPA) has proposed for developing offshore wind energy.

BOEM must assess whether there are other parties interested in developing commercial wind facilities in the same area in order to determine whether it is appropriate to issue a lease on a non-competitive basis, or whether a competitive process is required.

The proposed project, located about 11 nautical miles south of Long Beach, New York, is designed to generate at least 350 Megawatts (MW) of electricity from offshore wind resources for the Long Island and New York City region, with the ability to expand generation capacity to as much as 700 MW – enough electricity to power an estimated 245,000 homes. The proposed lease area is approximately 127 square miles. In addition to inquiring about competitive interest, BOEM is also seeking public comment on the proposal, its potential environmental consequences, and the use of the area in which the proposed project would be located.

“Today’s announcement represents an important step forward in facilitating renewable, clean energy generation offshore New York,” said BOEM Director Tommy P. Beaudreau. “We will work closely with the state of New York and stakeholders to share information and resolve issues in order to make responsible wind energy development in federal waters a reality.”

BOEM will publish a “Public Notice of an Unsolicited Request for a Commercial Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Wind Lease, Request for Interest, and Request for Public Comment,” in the Federal Register on January 4, 2013. The notice will include a 60-day public comment period.

[mappress]

Press release, January 4, 2013; Image: boem