newjerseynewsroom.com

Analyzing proposed wind energy areas off New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia

BY TOM HESTER SR.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) on Monday announced it is seeking public comment on a draft environmental assessment on potential environmental and socioeconomic effects of issuing renewable energy leases for wind turbine development off the New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia coasts.

“America’s offshore wind resources offer great potential for helping power the Eastern seaboard and spurring new jobs and innovation,” Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said. “The ‘Smart from the Start’ initiative will help companies identify areas offshore that are best suited for wind development, while also reducing the potential for costly delays and red tape. With today’s announcement, we are taking another step toward ensuring that renewable development along the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf becomes a reality.”

“We welcome stakeholder input throughout the renewable energy leasing process and invite public comments on this draft EA (environmental assessment),” BOEMRE Director Michael R. Bromwich said. “If leases are issued in these geographic areas, we will conduct a thorough environmental analysis of each proposed commercial project. We will continue to work with our state renewable energy task forces to advance renewable energy development carefully and responsibly.”

The draft environmental assessment also considers potential environmental impacts associated with site assessment activities such as the installation and operation of meteorological towers and buoys on leases that may be issued in these areas.

11 companies have expressed an interest to the state Department of Environmental Protection in constructing wind turbines to create electric energy off the New Jersey coast

The expressions of interest are part of a federal process that will ultimately determine the development of offshore leases for wind energy projects.

The firms submitting project nominations are: Offshore MW LLC; Neptune Wind LLC; Garden State Offshore Wind Energy I LLC; Bluewater Wind New Jersey Energy LLC; TCI Renewables Inc.; Mainstream Renewable Power; enXco Development Corp.; U.S. Wind Inc.; New Jersey Offshore Wind LLC; Fishermen's Energy of New Jersey LLC, and Iberdrola Rewewables Inc.

The proposed projects range in size from 350 megawatts to as much as 3,000 megawatts and represent approximately 12,500 total megawatts of green energy capacity. Multiple project proposals overlap the same federal leasing blocks, meaning that the total power generation capacity of the wind facilities constructed would ultimately be much less than the total of the proposed projects.

The proposed leasing area encompasses 418 square nautical miles between Barnegat Light and Avalon. The area begins seven nautical miles off the shoreline and extends up to 23 nautical miles into the ocean, encompassing 43 entire federal leasing blocks and parts of 34 others.

The draft environmental assessment is part of the “Smart from the Start” initiative to bring about what officials describe as efficient and environmentally-responsible development of renewable energy resources on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. The initiative includes the identification of areas on the shelf that appear to be suitable for renewable energy development where BOEMRE will focus its leasing efforts. Any leases ultimately issued will not authorize construction or operations; instead, specific proposed projects will be the subject of subsequent environmental review and analysis with additional opportunities for public comment.

The comments BOEMRE received in response to the NOI can be viewed by clicking here. 

The draft EA is available for review at: http://www.boemre.gov/offshore/RenewableEnergy/SmartFromTheStart.htm.

The notice in the Federal Register is available for inspection at http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/public-inspection/index.html.

The public is invited to submit comments on the draft environmental assessment no later than August 11, 2011 in one of the following ways:

Electronically: http://www.boemre.gov/PublicComment.htm. Click on the “Public Comment” link and follow the instructions to submit public comments and to view supporting and related materials. Via mail, addressed to: “Comments on Mid-Atlantic Regional EA” to Program Manager, Office of Offshore Alternative Energy Programs (MS 4090), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, 381 Elden St., Herndon, Va. 20170.