USA: BOEM Extends Public Comment Period for North Carolina’s Offshore Wind Energy

As part of the Obama Administration’s all-of-the-above energy strategy to continue expansion of domestic energy development, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has announced it is extending the comment period on its Call for Information and Nominations (Call) to gauge the offshore wind industry’s interest in acquiring commercial wind leases in three areas offshore North Carolina and to request comments regarding site conditions, resources, vessel traffic, visual impacts and other uses within the Call areas.   

BOEM is also extending the public comment period on its Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA). Through the NOI, BOEM is seeking public comment for determining significant issues and alternatives to be analyzed in the EA. The EA will consider potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts associated with issuing commercial wind leases and approving site assessment and site characterization activities on the lease areas.

The Call and the NOI were originally published in the Federal Register on December 13, 2012, for a 45-day comment period that ended on Jan. 28, 2013. BOEM extended the comment period for the Notices at the request of stakeholders seeking more time to submit comments.

The comment period for the Call and NOI will now end on Mar. 7, 2013.

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Press release, February 5, 2013; Image: Alpha Ventus