BOEM designates 8 draft wind areas off central Atlantic coast

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has identified eight draft wind energy areas (WEAs) off the US Central Atlantic coast, offshore North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.

The agency announced the areas for public review and comment on Wednesday. The sites cover about 1.7 million acres and represent a subset of the original 3.9 million acres of the Central Atlantic call area that was announced for public comment in April. The final WEAs may be further changed after feedback from various stakeholders.

According to the American Clean Power Association (ACP) the areas have the potential to deliver 20.6 GW of offshore wind energy.

“It is especially significant that five of the eight draft WEAs identified are in shallow waters that allow for the use of offshore wind turbines with fixed bottom foundations,” ACP vice president for offshore wind Josh Kaplowitz said, adding that they offer a strong opportunity to extend the fixed bottom project pipeline on the East Coast.

The areas' closest points range from 19 to 77 nautical miles off the coast.

There will now be a 30-day comment period, ending on December 16, during which BOEM will hold two virtual meetings to engage the fishing community and environmental organisations.

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