BOEM Announces Three Final Wind Energy Areas in the Central Atlantic
For Immediate Release: July 31, 2023
Media Contact: Karly Lohan, karlyl@sewind.org
Raleigh, N.C. – Today, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced three final Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) in the Central Atlantic region, including a lease off the coast of Virginia. This announcement marks a milestone in the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030.
WEA (C-1) is 176,506 acres and located about 35 nm from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay off the coast of Virginia. BOEM will publish its Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental assessment of potential impacts of offshore wind leasing in the WEAs in the Federal Register on August 1, 2023, followed by a 30-day public comment period. An additional comment period would occur if BOEM decides to move forward with a lease sale in any of the WEAs.
BOEM may identify additional WEAs offshore the Central Atlantic coast for future leasing once further study of those areas has been completed.
SEWC’s President, Katharine Kollins, released the following statement: “SEWC applauds BOEM’s efforts to advance offshore wind energy off the Central Atlantic coast, especially in Virginia. We look forward to continued collaboration between BOEM and federal agencies to ensure that stakeholder impacts are considered while we work to prioritize shallow water leasing that will allow us to reach our state procurement goals. We hope BOEM is able to prioritize potential lease areas off the coast of North Carolina during the second wave of WEA identification.”
Updated 8/15/23: This announcement from BOEM has no impact on the Carolina Long Bay lease area off the coast of Brunswick County, North Carolina or the Kitty Hawk Wind lease area off the coast of Corolla, North Carolina.
About SEWC
The Southeastern Wind Coalition is a 501(c)3 that works to advance the land-based and offshore wind industry in the Southeast. We focus on providing fact-based information on the economic and environmental opportunities of wind energy, and encourage solutions that result in net economic benefits to residents and ratepayers. For more information about the Southeastern Wind Coalition visit www.sewind.org.
