BOEM launches info and nominations call for Hawaii offshore wind

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Wednesday officially launched a call to weigh the wind industry's interest in acquiring commercial leases for offshore wind development in Hawaii waters.

The Call for Information and Nominations (Call) seeks comments on site conditions, resources and other uses in and near the potential offshore wind development areas spanning approximately 485,000 acres (196,270 hectares) of submerged lands in federal waters off Oahu. BOEM is working on the plan in collaboration with the Hawaii Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force, the state of Hawaii, the local industry and various stakeholders, according to the statement.

“Hawaii has important offshore wind energy potential, and we will continue our work with stakeholders across the spectrum to create a path forward for sustainable offshore energy development in the right places with the lowest conflicts across the Aloha State,” US Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, said after announcing the move yesterday.

BOEM is also publishing in the Federal Register a Notice of Intent (NoI) to prepare an еnvironmental аssessment (EA) for the Hawaii offshore lease areas. Afterwards, it will accept public comments on the Call and the NOI for 45 days and will hold public information meetings.

In March, the BOEM said it has received an unsolicited lease request for a 400-MW floating wind energy project off Oahu from Progression Hawaii Offshore Wind Inc. The Progression application is in addition to two lease requests from Danish firm Alpha Wind Energy (AWE) for two projects of about 400 MW each.

Hawaii aims to source 100% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2045.

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