The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has published a Draft Environmental Review of Potential Mitigation of Future Development of Wind Lease Areas Offshore California.
The Notice of Availability (NOA) for the California Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) has been published in the Federal Register today, initiating a 90-day comment period.
BOEM estimates full development of these leases, totalling over 373,268 acres, has the potential to produce over 4.6GW of offshore wind.
“BOEM invites feedback from a wide range of stakeholders as we work towards achieving President Biden’s clean-energy goals, which are essential for the well-being of all Americans,” said BOEM director Elizabeth Klein.
“Public input on our analysis will guide mitigation of future offshore wind energy development across multiple leases offshore California.
“We believe that this comprehensive regional approach will foster efficiencies for future project-specific wind energy project environmental reviews, all while ensuring the protection of our ocean environment and marine life.”
Offshore Wind California said: “This report is good news and another important step forward for floating offshore wind in California.
“We appreciate the comprehensive review and thorough analysis that went into BOEM’s draft programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) for future development activities in the five offshore wind lease areas off California’s Central and North Coasts.
“As an industry, we are committed to responsible development of offshore wind in California that is compatible and coexists with ocean conservation and other ocean users.
“This detailed regional environmental review will help ensure timely decisions can be made to advance floating offshore wind for the Golden State and facilitate adoption of mitigation measures to minimize impacts and protect local communities, marine life, and the environment.
“It also ensures a comprehensive review of these California areas and improved efficiencies for future project reviews.”