U.S. Interior Announces Central Atlantic Wind Energy Areas With Potential to Support Up To 8 Gigawatts

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on July 31 announced three final Wind Energy Areas with a total area of around 356,550 acres, situated offshore Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. These areas underwent meticulous development, with extensive engagement and feedback from states, Tribes, local residents, ocean users, federal government partners, and the broader public. Aligned with the Biden administration’s ambitious goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, the establishment of these final areas holds the potential to support the production of 4-8 gigawatts of energy.

The bureau collaborated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science on an ocean planning model to select energy areas while minimizing impacts on the environment and ocean users. This model incorporated the accessible data on natural resources, ocean industries, and areas falling under national security activities on a best effort basis to identify locations with high wind energy potential while minimizing impacts on other ocean users and critical environmental resources. Through this collaborative approach, the project not only provided valuable insights into the ocean region but also fostered transparency and cooperation with government partners and ocean stakeholders by actively incorporating their feedback into the model.

In November 2022, the bureau announced eight draft wind energy areas offshore North Carolina, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia covering an area of around 1.7 million acres. These drafts are a subset of the original 3.9 million acres identified for public comment in April 2022. The finalized areas are in relatively shallow waters, and the bureau may explore additional areas in deep water terrain along the U.S. Central Atlantic coast after further study. The agency is closely coordinating with the Defense Department and NASA to assess the compatibility of the wind energy area off Maryland for energy development, and the results will inform its inclusion in a potential lease sale.

The bureau published a notice of intent to prepare an environmental review on the three wind energy areas on Aug. 1, opening a 30-day comment period.