Authorities advance plan for offshore wind near US territories

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is soliciting ideas for baseline environmental and socioeconomic studies regarding potential offshore wind energy activities in U.S. territories.

BOEM also invites entities located in U.S. territories that have the capabilities, expertise, and interest to perform environmental monitoring and conduct studies.

To formally request ideas for baseline environmental and socioeconomic studies, the office issued a request for letters of interest as well as a request for information to determine which entities in U.S. territories have the required capabilities. The deadline to respond to the LOI and RFI is August 23, 2024.

U.S. territories are not part of the lower 48 states, Alaska, and Hawaii. The United States has five inhabited territories: American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

The country also has nine uninhabited territories – Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Navassa Island, Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island – and claims two others – Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank – but those -they are in conflict with Colombia and Jamaica which control both.

“BOEM develops, funds and manages rigorous scientific research to ensure our decisions are informed by the best scientific and indigenous knowledge available. Additional research focused on U.S. territories will improve our understanding of these important areas and the potential impacts of offshore wind energy development on their residents and resources,” said Rodney Cluck, head of BOEM’s Environmental Studies Program. .

During this administration, the Interior Department approved the nation's first eight commercial-scale offshore wind projects, held four offshore wind lease auctions, and the first-ever sales off the Pacific and Gulf coasts. So far, the ministry has approved more than 10 GW of clean energy from offshore wind projects.