BOEM Seeks Public Input to Inform Environmental Review of Gulf of Maine Offshore Wind Research Lease
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today announced that it intends to conduct a review of potential environmental impacts associated with the possible issuance of an offshore wind energy research lease in the Gulf of Maine. The lease was requested by the State of Maine for the purpose of researching potential floating offshore wind energy development. The research site lies 20 nautical miles off the coast of Maine, roughly southeast of Portland, and if developed would comprise up to 12 floating offshore wind turbines capable of generating up to 144 megawatts of renewable energy.
BOEM will publish a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register to state its intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the wind energy research lease, which will initiate a 30-day public comment period that will end at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Jun. 5, 2023. During this period, BOEM seeks public input regarding important environmental issues and the identification of reasonable alternatives that should be considered in the EA.
“BOEM appreciates the value of research demonstration projects to advance floating wind technology,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “The Tribes, states, ocean users and stakeholders in the Gulf of Maine have valuable expertise on the issues facing this region, and we look forward to collaborating and working with everyone as we move forward.”
On Mar. 20, 2023, BOEM issued a Determination of No Competitive Interest for the research lease requested by the State of Maine. Today’s announcement to prepare an EA is a significant next step for processing the research lease application.
BOEM aims to address and better understand any concerns from the public and encourages input and feedback to help inform its decision-making.
BOEM will host a Gulf of Maine Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force meeting May 10-11, 2023, in Bangor, Maine. The purpose of the meeting is to update Task Force members and the public on BOEM’s commercial and research offshore wind energy planning activities and to discuss next steps for the Gulf of Maine.
The public is encouraged to attend this meeting. Opportunities for public input will occur on both days of the meeting. Additional information about the meeting will be available on BOEM's Gulf of Maine web page: https://www.boem.gov/Gulf-of-Maine/.
In addition, public comments may be submitted via the following ways:
- Regulations.gov. This is the federal government’s official commenting website. Go to www.regulations.gov and, in the field titled “Enter Keyword or ID,” enter BOEM-2023-0031, then click “search.” Follow the instructions to submit public comments and view supporting and related materials available for this notice.
- U.S. Mail or other delivery service. Comments and information may be sent to:
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Office of Renewable Energy Programs
45600 Woodland Road, Mail Stop VAM-OREP
Sterling, VA 20166
-- BOEM --
The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is responsible for America’s offshore energy and mineral resources. The bureau promotes energy independence, environmental protection and economic development through responsible, science-based management of energy and mineral resources on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.
Views: 20
Comment
Maine as Third World Country:
CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power
Click here to read how the Maine ratepayer has been sold down the river by the Angus King cabal.
Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT
******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********
(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/
Not yet a member?
Sign up today and lend your voice and presence to the steadily rising tide that will soon sweep the scourge of useless and wretched turbines from our beloved Maine countryside. For many of us, our little pieces of paradise have been hard won. Did the carpetbaggers think they could simply steal them from us?
We have the facts on our side. We have the truth on our side. All we need now is YOU.
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
-- Mahatma Gandhi
"It's not whether you get knocked down: it's whether you get up."
Vince Lombardi
Task Force membership is free. Please sign up today!
Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law
Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future
"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."
https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/
© 2024 Created by Webmaster.
Powered by
You need to be a member of Citizens' Task Force on Wind Power - Maine to add comments!
Join Citizens' Task Force on Wind Power - Maine