The Department of Interior has issued a proposed sale notice of approximately 344,000 acres in the New Jersey Wind Energy Area.
On July 21, 2014, the Department of Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Ocean Management (BOEM) published a Proposed Sale Notice for commercial wind energy leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore New Jersey. The New Jersey Wind Energy Area begins approximately seven nautical miles off the Atlantic City coast and spans approximately 344,000 acres. It is estimated to support up to 3,400 MW of commercial generation, enough to power approximately 1.2 million homes. BOEM has proposed to auction the New Jersey Wind Energy Area in two leases – South Lease Area of 160,480 acres and North Lease Area of 183,353 acres. The proposal builds on DOI’s Smart from the Start initiative for Atlantic Coast wind energy development.
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, in February 2012 BOEM published the Notice of Availability for the final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for commercial wind lease issuance and site assessment activities on the OCS offshore New Jersey, Delaware, and Virginia. In October 2012, BOEM initiated consultation for geological and geophysical activities to support renewable energy development offshore New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Formal consultation informing development of a New Jersey commercial wind lease package concluded in April 2013. Additional environmental reviews, such as Site Assessment Plan and Construction and Operations Plan, will be prepared after lessees submit proposed project plans.
The Proposed Sale Notice provides details regarding areas open for leasing, proposed lease provisions and conditions, auction details, and lease execution. It will be open for comment until September 19, which is also the deadline for potential participants to submit qualification packages. BOEM has also scheduled a public seminar for August 6 to explain the auction format, rules, and process.
Originally published by EnerKnol.
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