The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today announced that it is seeking comments by Tuesday, Feb. 20 on its intent to prepare a programmatic environmental impact statement analyzing the potential impacts of floating offshore wind energy development offshore Humboldt and Morro Bay, California. In conjunction with the comment period, BOEM will hold virtual public meetings on Tuesday, Feb. 6 and Thursday, Feb. 8.
The proposed action is the adoption of programmatic mitigation measures that lessees may incorporate or that BOEM may require as conditions of approval in construction and operation plans, with mitigation measures that may include avoidance, minimization, mitigation, and monitoring measures previously used by BOEM in prior offshore wind energy project documents.
BOEM Pacific Regional Director Doug Boren said that the analysis “will help ensure that timely decisions can be made to advance offshore wind while protecting the ocean environment, marine life, and other ocean uses,” adding that the approach “also ensures both a comprehensive review of the California areas and improved efficiencies for future offshore wind project reviews.”
