COSA Committee Meeting June 22, 2017 Mary C. Boatman, Ph.D. Environmental Studies Chief Office of Renewable Energy Programs mary.boatman@boem.gov

•       BOEM issued its second commercial lease (offshore Delaware) o    The first lease completed under Interior’s “Smart from the Start” approach to facilitate environmentally responsible offshore wind development along the Atlantic OCS by identifying wind energy areas (WEAs) in a coordinated, focused approach with extensive environmental analysis, public review and large-scale planning. •       First offshore renewable energy lease sales forthcoming o    Published Proposed Sale Notices (PSNs) for areas offshore RI/MA and VA o    Developing PSNs for auctions off NJ, MD, and MA •       Issued a Call for Information and Nominations for offshore NC o    this is an early step in identifying WEAs o    will add to the 6 WEAs (MA, RI, NJ, DE, MD, and VA) already identified •       Developing guidelines for lessees and developers: o    Published guidelines for providing survey information for benthic habitats and avian resources, and submittal of spatial data. o    Updated guidelines for providing geological and geophysical, hazards, and archaeological information o    In development are guidelines for protected species and fishing. •       We continue to process unsolicited lease requests off ME and NY, and unsolicited grant requests for transmission (Block Island, Rhode Island and the Atlantic Wind Connection proposed project for a transmission line off VA-NY).

Process for Commercial Wind Development (30 CFR 585) Planning and Analysis BOEM engages with the Intergovernmental Task Forces to identify priority Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) offshore. WEAs are locations that appear most suitable for wind energy development BOEM prepares an Environmental Assessment for Lease or Grant Issuance and Site Assessment Activities Lease or Grant BOEM notifies the public and developers of its intent to lease through Sale Notices BOEM determines whether Competitive Interest exists If Competitive Interest exists, BOEM holds a lease or grant auction If Competitive Interest does not Exist, BOEM negotiates a lease Site Assessment Lessee conducts site characterization studies Lessee submits Site Assessment Plan (SAP) BOEM conducts environmental and technical reviews of SAP, eventually deciding to approve, approve with modification, or disapprove the SAP If approved, Lessee assesses site (usually with meteorological tower(s) and/or buoy(s) Construction and Operations Lessee may conduct additional site characterization Lessee submits Construction and Operations Plan (COP) BOEM conducts environmental and technical reviews of COP, eventually deciding to approve, approve with modification, or disapprove the COP If approved, Lessee builds wind farm All stages provide for public comment: Stakeholder meetings BOEM intergovernmental task force meetings w/ public Q&A session Notice of Intent to Prepare an EA or EIS Scoping meetings for EIS’s Hearings and comment periods for draft EIS’s

U.S. Regulatory Process for Offshore Wind

BOEM Environmental Studies ~$30M Program Budget Environmental Studies Program Funds by Discipline Renewable Energy Information Needs, FY 2008-15 Cumulative Habitat & Ecology (48%) Social Science & Economics (19%) Fates & Effects (11%) Information Management (11%) Marine Mammals & Protected Species (9%) Air Quality (2%) Physical Oceanography (>1%) Includes obligations for studies in all regions supporting environmental information needs for renewable energy, totaling $29.3 million.

Site Assessment Collecting baseline information about the distribution of species: Marine Mammals/Sea Turtles Birds Fish BOEM Noise & Fish Workshop 6

Site Assessment Collecting baseline information about: Tourism and Recreation* Historical Properties* Archaeological Sites* * - Completed studies BOEM Noise & Fish Workshop 7

Construction and Operations What are the positive effects from development? What are the impact producing activities? How can we best measure these effects? What effects will wind turbines have on the local environment? 8

BOEM Guidelines BOEM has developed a number of guidelines to better explain BOEM’s regulatory requirements to the development community: Avian Survey Guidelines Archaeological and Historic Property Survey Guidelines Geophysical, Geotechnical, and Geohazard Survey Guidelines Fisheries Survey and Engagement Guidelines Benthic Habitat Survey Guidelines Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Survey Guidelines Spatial Data Submission Guidelines

Typical Mitigation Measures

Addressing Avian Issues Developing a regional understanding of the distribution and abundance of avian species that are potentially vulnerable to offshore wind energy development on the OCS Identification of the migratory corridors used by vulnerable avian species that may intersect with potential wind energy areas Implementation: Aggregation of observations of birds in the offshore environment Model predictions of distribution and abundance Identification of vulnerable species to collision and displacement Tracking of species movements with telemetry

Addressing Fish Issues Understanding of the physical habitat and the fish use of these habitats during particular times of the years and during crucial times during the animal's’ life history Addressing space use conflicts with fishing interests Implementation: Understanding the distribution of key species of interest including ESA and commercially important species High priority impact producing factors to include EMF, physical habitat disturbance, and underwater sound Identification of critical areas for fishing and the economic consequences

FY 2018 Proposed Studies Understanding Potential Economic Impacts to Commercial Fishing from Offshore Wind Energy Development Monitoring sea turtle behavior in the ecologically dynamic North Atlantic foraging grounds Movement Patterns of Fish on Cox Ledge Sea surface and bottom layer hydrodynamic modelling and particle tracking in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Bight Southern New England Ichthyoplankton Surveys Baseline Ecological Study of Wind Turbines at Block Island Wind Farm Detection of Recreational Use of Coastal Areas and on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)

Block Island Wind Farm

Questions? Renewable Energy Program www.boem.gov/Renewable-Energy-Program BOEM Noise & Fish Workshop 15