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Department Of The Interior News

25 Mar 2024

BOEM Announces Review of Proposed Vineyard Northeast Project

Source: BOEM

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will initiate an environmental review of Vineyard Northeast’s proposed offshore wind energy project, located 29 miles offshore Nantucket, Massachusetts at its closest point. BOEM estimates the proposed project would generate up to 2,600MW of electricity, enough to power more than 900,000 homes with clean renewable energy. The approximately 132,370-acre Lease Area is located some 29 miles (mi) from Nantucket and approximately 39 mi offshore Martha’s Vineyard…

13 Feb 2024

US Finalizes Two Offshore Wind Energy Areas in Oregon

BOEM has designated two final Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) off the Oregon coast, the Coos Bay WEA is 61,204 acres and  located approximately 32 miles (mi) from shore. The Brookings WEA is 133,808 acres and  approximately 18 mi off the coast. If fully developed, the Final WEAs could support 2.4 GW of energy production. (Image: BOEM)

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Tuesday finalized two wind energy areas (WEAs) in the offshore Oregon region, aligning with government goals to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power along U.S. coastlines this decade to fight climate change.The two WEAs, Coos Bay WEA and Brookings WEA, are spread across 195,012 acres (78,919 hectares) and "the department continues to take steps to evolve its approach to offshore wind to drive towards union-built projects and a domestic-based supply chain," said the agency, which is part of the U.S.

11 Jan 2024

Rebuilding the Foundations of US Offshore Wind

© Fokke Baarssen / Adobe Stock

As we enter a New Year, the memories of the shocks to the foundations to the U.S. offshore wind segment remain fresh. In short, supply chain inflation and capacity/availability, interest rate increases, and tax credit monetization have been the key themes highlighted by developers to explain why many projects became commercially unviable.Several Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states have reacted rapidly, accepting the termination of power sales & purchase agreements and allowing the canceled projects to be rebid into new solicitations.

21 Nov 2023

US Approves Equinor and BP's Empire Wind Offshore Project

© nblxer / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Department of the Interior on Thursday approved the Empire Wind offshore project, owned by Equinor and BP, the sixth commercial-scale wind farm to be greenlit under President Joe Biden's administration.Empire Wind is among several offshore wind projects facing construction and financing cost blowouts that the troubled industry says would not be covered by existing power sales contracts, but it could be helped by a new auction planned by New York state.Along with Danish counterpart Orsted, Equinor and BP have taken a combined $5 billion of writedowns on U.S.

02 Nov 2023

US Postpones Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Auction Due to Litigation

Credit: james_pintar/AdobeStock

The Biden administration on Thursday postponed a Nov. 8 sale of offshore drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico pending the outcome of a lawsuit over oil and gas development and federal protection of an endangered species of whale.The move comes after a U.S. appeals court on Oct. 26 temporarily paused a lower court order requiring the Interior Department's U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to expand the auction, which was originally scheduled to be held in September.Oral arguments are scheduled for Nov.

16 Oct 2023

Massachusetts Offshore Wind Farm Dodges Lawsuits over Environmental, Fishing Concerns

Credit: Avangrid

A U.S. judge has rejected challenges to federal environmental permits and construction approvals for a $4 billion offshore wind farm near Massachusetts, which commercial fishing groups have claimed will harm whales and impair their businesses.U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston last Thursday tossed the final two federal district court lawsuits directly challenging the Vineyard Wind project roughly 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, which would be the first commercial…

22 Sep 2023

U.S. Judge Orders Expansion of Gulf of Mexico Oil Lease Auction

Credit: Mike Mareen/AdobeStock

A federal judge in Louisiana has ordered an expansion of next week's sale of oil leases in the Gulf of Mexico, saying the Biden administration must include additional acreage, according to a court ruling issued late on Thursday.The oil and gas industry, which had sued the administration,  welcomed the decision to restore 6 million acres to the auction after the Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management earlier reduced the area available for lease in an effort to protect an endangered whale.U.S.

25 Aug 2023

Oil Companies Sue Over Lease Changes Made to Protect Whales

© Mike Mareen / Adobe Stock

An oil and gas industry trade group, the state of Louisiana and Chevron on Thursday sued the Biden administration over its decision to withdraw acreage from an upcoming oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico to protect an endangered whale.The suit is the latest dispute between the oil and gas industry and the administration of President Joe Biden over leasing federal lands and waters for energy development.Biden paused federal drilling auctions shortly after taking office in 2021 as part of his climate change agenda…

22 Aug 2023

Revolution Wind: US Approves Fourth Major Offshore Wind Project

(Photo: Ørsted)

The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Tuesday approved the construction of a 704-megawatt (MW) wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island, the fourth major offshore wind project the agency has greenlit as the Biden administration tries to meet a goal of bringing 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power online by 2030.The Revolution Wind project about 15 nautical miles southeast of Point Judith, R.I. is being developed by Eversource and Ørsted as Rhode Island and Connecticut's first utility-scale offshore wind farm…

10 Jul 2023

Former BOEM Head Amanda Lefton Joins RWE

Amanda Lefton (Photo: BOEM)

German energy company RWE announced it has hired Amanda Lefton as Vice President of Offshore Development, U.S. East.Lefton was previously Director of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) during a period of sigificant growth for the U.S. offshore wind industry under direction from the Biden Administration. Lefton resigned from here position at BOEM effective January 19, 2023.RWE is one of the world's largest producers of offshore wind energy, with projects in Asia, Europe and the United States.

28 Apr 2023

Protecting Offshore Energy Sources via USV

Photo courtesy Mr. Dave Meron

When most people discuss energy sources such as fossil fuel and green energy, it is from an “either-or” perspective. Some favor the former while others advocate for the latter. However, what is often lost in the arguments on both sides is that regardless of the type of energy being extracted or generated, those platforms that are offshore, especially oil rigs, oil and gas pipelines, and wind farms, are incredibly vulnerable to anyone who wants to attack these sources in wartime…

26 Apr 2023

BOEM Seeks Public Input on Possible Offshore Wind Development in Gulf of Maine

©BOEM

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Tuesday invited public comment on possible commercial wind energy development in areas offshore Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.BOEM said the call represented an early step in the commercial planning and leasing process in the Gulf fo Maine, and the first required by BOEM regulations.“BOEM is committed to transparent, inclusive and data-driven processes, and public input is essential to helping us determine areas that may be suitable for offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein.

13 Mar 2023

Biden Administration to Designate 2.8 Million Acres in Arctic Ocean off-limits for Oil and Gas Leasing

©DOI

The U.S. Department of the Interior said Monday that President Biden would take action to designate about 2.8 million acres in the Arctic Ocean nearshore the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) as indefinitely off-limits for future oil and gas leasing. This action will complete protections for the entire Beaufort Sea Planning Area, building upon President Obama’s 2016 withdrawal under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to protect the Chukchi Sea Planning Area and the majority of the Beaufort Sea…

25 Jan 2023

Onshore Funding for US Offshore Wind

© Ian Dyball / Adobe Stock

Most of the media coverage of offshore wind development in the United States focuses on the leases of the offshore areas where the wind turbines will be located. However, equally important is the landside dimension of these projects, including the manufacture, installation, maintenance and operation of the turbines. Several awards made in the last two rounds of funding under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) show how offshore wind now offers an additional direction of port development for which funding is available.

13 Jan 2023

Gusting Forward: U.S. Gov't to Simplify Offshore Wind Rules to Meet Climate Goals

©mark_gusev/AdobeStock

The U.S. Department of the Interior will reform its regulations for the development of wind energy facilities on the country's outer continental shelf to help meet crucial climate goals, it said in a statement on Thursday.The proposed rule changes would save developers a projected $1 billion over a 20-year period by streamlining burdensome processes, clarifying ambiguous provisions, and lowering compliance costs, the statement said. "Updating these regulations will facilitate the safe and efficient development of offshore wind energy resources…

31 Oct 2022

U.S. Designates Offshore Wind Farm Development Areas in Gulf of Mexico

©BOEM

The U.S. Gulf of Mexico, best known to the offshore energy industry as an oil and gas province, is for the first time opening its doors to the offshore wind industry, with the U.S administration on Monday designating two areas for offshore wind development in the region.The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Monday said it had finalized two Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) in the Gulf of Mexico, with the potential to produce enough electricity to power nearly 3 million households.The first WEA is located approximately 24 nautical miles (nm) off the coast of Galveston, TX.

19 Aug 2022

US Advances Plans for Offshore Wind in Maine

The U.S. Department of the Interior announced next steps to bring offshore wind energy to the Gulf of Maine. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has made available a Request for Interest (RFI) and Request for Competitive Interest (RFCI) in the Federal Register for public comment.“President Biden has set ambitious goals to address the climate crisis, and in response the Interior Department is taking historic steps to develop a robust and sustainable clean energy future,” said Secretary Deb Haaland.

28 Jun 2022

Baker to Head BOEM's Office of Renewable Energy Programs

© Fokke Baarssen / Adobe Stock

The United States' Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Tuesday announced Karen J. Baker will lead its Office of Renewable Energy Programs (OREP).BOEM, an agency within the Department of the Interior, manages U.S. offshore energy resources.As Chief of BOEM's OREP, Baker will oversee the development of renewable energy resources on the Outer Continental Shelf through planning, stakeholder engagement, environmental analysis and technical review.“We’re very excited to add Ms. Baker to our team at such a pivotal time in offshore wind development,” said BOEM Director Amanda Lefton.

09 Jun 2022

US Oil Spill Testing, Response Facility Gets Major Upgrade

A crane replaces a bridge over the Ohmsett Oil Spill Response & Renewable Energy Test facility during refurbishment in spring 2022. (Photo: BSEE)

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s National Oil Spill Response Research and Renewable Energy Test Facility, known as Ohmsett, has now reopened after undergoing significant refurbishment over the past eight months as part of BSEE’s ongoing maintenance plan. Originally constructed and operated by the U.S. EPA in 1974, the facility was passed to the U.S. Navy and then to the Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service in 1990. Today, it is the only facility in the U.S. conducting full-scale oil spill response research, equipment testing and training using live oil.

07 Jun 2022

BOEM to Conduct Environmental Review of First Proposed Offshore Wind Project in Maryland

Credit: US Wind via BOEM

The U.S. Department of the Interior said Monday that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) would conduct an environmental review of the first proposed wind energy project offshore Maryland, in line with the country's goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030.The Department will this week publish a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) submitted by US Wind, LLC (US Wind).

26 May 2022

US Proposes Offshore Wind Sale Off California Coast

© travelview / Adobe Stock

The Biden administration on Thursday proposed auctioning five areas off the coast of California for offshore wind development, a critical milestone in expanding the nascent U.S. industry to Pacific waters.It is the latest in a government effort to put wind turbines along every U.S. coastline, with a goal of generating 30 gigawatts of power by 2030. President Joe Biden has said the new industry will create jobs and combat climate change.The announcement comes on the heels of two successful auctions this year in Atlantic waters that, combined, generated more than $4.6 billion in high bids.

13 May 2022

NOIA: U.S. Gov't Move Against Offshore Oil & Gas Lease Sales 'Devastating to Americans'

An oil platform in Cook Inlet, Alaska/Image by Paul/AdobeStock

Erik Milito, president of the U.S. National Ocean Industries Association, said this week that the U.S. government's decision not to hold offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Cook Inlet was expected, but also "devastating to Americans.""This decision is not surprising at all. As early as March 2020, then-candidate Biden made it clear that he would stop federal oil and gas development if elected. This was followed by additional formal campaign declarations…

25 Mar 2022

U.S. to Hold Offshore Wind Lease Sale for Two Areas in the Carolinas

For illustration -  ©Ian Dyball/AdobeStock

The U.S. will hold a wind energy auction for two lease areas offshore the Carolinas on May 11, the U.S. Department of the Interior said Friday, as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has completed its environmental review.The lease areas cover 110,091 acres in the Carolina Long Bay area that, if developed, could result in at least 1.3 gigawatts of offshore wind energy, enough to power nearly 500,000 homes, the Department of the Interior said."The Biden-Harris administration is committed to supporting a robust clean energy economy…