This data set represents the most recent changes for the Wind Development Planning Areas in the Atlantic. Wind Planning Areas in this dataset represent up to six different types of announcements within the US Federal Register (FR) that can be used to show the current status of an area that is being considered for wind power development. Additionally, unsolicited proposed lease areas that have not yet began the leasing process are also included. Individual projects are listed by state below. Previous Wind Planning Areas that are now designated as leases can be found in the BOEM Lease Areas feature class.

New York

On December 30, 2016, PNE Wind USA, Inc. submitted an unsolicited lease request for 40,920 acres offshore New York. If BOEM decides to move forward with this application, the next step will be to issue a public notice to determine whether there is competitive interest in bidding for the area.

In April 2018 DOI issued a Call for Information and Nominations for Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf in the New York Bight. The Call Areas are located on the OCS in the New York Bight and are delineated as Fairways North, Fairways South, Hudson North, and Hudson South. The four Call Areas include 222 whole OCS blocks and 172 partial blocks and consist of approximately 1,735,154 acres.

Federal Register Notices:

4/2018 - Call for Information and Nominations

North Carolina

On Aug. 11, 2014, BOEM announced that it has identified three Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) offshore North Carolina:

The Kitty Hawk WEA begins about 24 nautical miles (nm) from shore and extends approximately 25.7 nm in a general southeast direction. Its seaward extent ranges from 13.5 nm in the north to .6 nm in the south. It contains approximately 21.5 Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) blocks (122,405 acres). The Wilmington West WEA begins about 10 nm from shore and extends approximately 12.3 nm in an east-west direction at its widest point. It contains just over 9 OCS blocks (approximately 51,595 acres). The Wilmington East WEA begins about 15 nm from Bald Head Island at its closest point and extends approximately 18 nm in the southeast direction at its widest point. It contains approximately 25 OCS blocks (133,590 acres).

Federal Register Notices:

12/13/2012 – Call for Information

12/13/2012 - Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment

02/05/2013 – Call for Information (reopening of comment period)

08/07/2014 - Area ID

09/18/2015 - Environmental Assessment (EA)

08/16/2016 - Proposed Sale Notice (PSN) / Request for Interest (RFI)

For more information: North Carolina State Activities Home Page

South Carolina

On November 23, 2015, BOEM announced it would publish a Call for Information and Nominations (Call) to gauge the offshore wind industry’s interest in acquiring commercial wind leases offshore South Carolina. In addition to the Call, BOEM also announced it would publish in the Federal Register a Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA).

11/23/2015 - Call for Information

California

In January 2016, BOEM received an unsolicited request for a commercial lease from Trident Winds LLC. (Trident Winds). BOEM reviewed the unsolicited lease application and determined in March 2016 that Trident Winds was legally, technically and financially qualified to hold a commercial lease on the Outer Continental Shelf.

A Call for Information and Nominations (Call) on October 19, 2018 to obtain nominations from companies interested in commercial wind energy leases within the proposed areas off central and northern California.

1/14/2016 - Trident Winds, LLC lease request

8/16/2016 - Request for Interest (RFI)

10/19/2018 - Call for Information and Nominations

For more information: http://www.boem.gov/California/

Hawaii

BOEM has received a total of three unsolicited wind energy lease requests from two potential developers: two lease requests from AW Hawaii Wind, LLC (AWH), the AWH Oahu Northwest Project and the AWH Oahu South Project; and one from Progression Hawaii Offshore Wind, Inc. (Progression), the Progression South Coast of Oahu Project. Each project proposes an offshore floating wind energy facility with a capacity of approximately 400 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy. The energy generated by the projects would be transmitted to Oahu by undersea cables.

AWH Oahu Northwest Project

AWH Oahu South Project

Progression South Coast of Oahu Project

Oahu Call Area - In consultation with the Hawaii Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force, BOEM issued a Call for Information and Nominations (Call) to gauge the offshore wind industry's interest in acquiring commercial wind leases in two areas spanning approximately 485,000 acres of submerged lands in federal waters offshore Oahu.

6/24/2016 - Call for Information and Nominations

For more information: Hawaii State Activities Home Page