The Northeast Regional Ocean Council’s (NROC) Ocean Planning Committee (Committee) convened last month in Gloucester, MA to review Committee activities since its last public meeting in November 2018, receive an update on federal progress in implementing the June 2018 ocean policy Executive Order and consideration of potential implications for the Northeast and the Committee’s work plan, and discuss specific topics related to offshore wind, including:
- The status of offshore wind planning and leasing from New York to Maine;
- An overview of the executive order “Establishing Discipline and Accountability in the Environmental Review and Permitting Process for Infrastructure,” related “One Federal Decision” Memorandum, and the potential implications for the regulatory and review process for offshore wind and other potential offshore infrastructure projects;
- The federal environmental review process for offshore wind energy projects;
- Port Access Route Study (PARS) updates: MA/RI and Atlantic Coast PARS (Initial and Supplemental); and
- Co-existence of Sustainable Fisheries and Offshore Wind
The Committee was re-established in 2018 to continue advancing regional ocean management and planning priorities following the issuance of the June 2018 ocean policy Executive Order. The Committee’s 2019-2020 work plan was finalized following NROC’s meeting in April.
