1. COSA Committee Meeting
June 22, 2017
Mary C. Boatman, Ph.D.
Environmental Studies Chief
Office of Renewable Energy Programs

2. •       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).

3. 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

4. U.S. Regulatory Process for Offshore Wind

5. BOEM Environmental Studies
~$30M Program Budget
Environmental Studies Program Funds by Discipline
Renewable Energy Information Needs, FY 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.

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

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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Typical Mitigation Measures

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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)

14. Block Island Wind Farm

15. Questions? Renewable Energy Program
BOEM Noise & Fish Workshop 15