BOEM Announces Offshore Wind Energy Zones Near Delaware, Maryland, & Virginia

As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) recently unveiled three final Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) off the coasts of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The development of these areas involved extensive consultation and feedback from states, Tribes, residents, ocean users, federal government partners, and the general public.

Covering a combined area of approximately 356,550 acres, the three WEAs have the potential to revolutionize renewable energy production in the region. The first WEA, named A-2, spans an impressive 101,767 acres and is situated 26 nautical miles (nm) off the coast of Delaware Bay. The second WEA, B-1, covers 78,285 acres and is located approximately 23.5 nm offshore from Ocean City, Maryland. The third and largest WEA, C-1, encompasses 176,506 acres and lies about 35 nm from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, off the coast of Virginia.

Once fully developed, these WEAs could generate between 4 and 8 gigawatts (GW) of clean, renewable energy, contributing significantly to the nation’s efforts to combat climate change and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

“BOEM values a robust and transparent offshore wind planning process, which requires early and frequent engagement with Tribal governments, the Department of Defense, NASA, other government agencies, and ocean users,” said BOEM Director Liz Klein. “We will continue to work closely with them, and all interested stakeholders, as we move forward with our environmental review.”

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has announced its plans to release a Notice of Intent on August 1, 2023, initiating an environmental assessment of potential impacts from offshore wind leasing in the Wind Energy Areas (WEAs). This crucial step will open a 30-day public comment period, allowing stakeholders and the public to provide their input and concerns.

Furthermore, BOEM has partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) to develop an ecosystem-based ocean planning model.

This model played a vital role in the selection of the final WEAs by considering various factors, such as natural resources, ocean industries (e.g., fisheries and energy production), and areas of national security activities. The objective was to identify areas with significant wind energy potential while minimizing potential impacts on other ocean users and sensitive environmental resources.

In addition to providing valuable insights about the seascape and uses of the ocean region, the approach also facilitated greater transparency and positive coordination with government partners and ocean stakeholders through direct engagement and incorporation of their feedback into the NCCOS model.

On November 16, 2022, BOEM announced and requested public comment on eight draft WEAs on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf offshore North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, covering approximately 1.7 million acres. The draft WEAs represented a subset of the original 3.9 million acres that the Department of the Interior identified for public comment in April 2022.

The final WEAs are in comparatively shallow water. BOEM may identify additional WEAs in deepwater areas offshore the U.S. Central Atlantic coast for future leasing once further study of those areas has been done.

As part of BOEM’s ongoing coordination with the Department of Defense (DoD) and NASA, a thorough review of WEA B-1 will continue to assess the compatibility of their activities with wind energy development. The results of the final in-depth assessment from DoD and NASA will be used to inform whether WEA B-1 should be included in a possible lease sale, which would be the next step in the wind energy process. There would be another public comment period if BOEM decides to move forward with a proposed lease sale, and if Area WEA B-1 is included in a proposed lease sale, any necessary mitigation would be identified to inform bidders in advance of a future sale.