Public comment

BOEM is announcing the availability of a revised Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for commercial wind lease issuance, site characterization activities (geophysical, geotechnical, archaeological, and biological surveys), and site assessment activities (including the installation and operation of a meteorological tower and/ or buoys) on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf offshore North Carolina. The revised EA provides a discussion of potential impacts of the proposed action and an analysis of reasonable alternatives to the proposed action.

The press release describing this action is available here.

BOEM is announcing the availability of a revised Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for commercial wind lease issuance, site characterization activities (geophysical, geotechnical, archaeological, and biological surveys), and site assessment activities (including the installation and operation of a meteorological tower and/ or buoys) on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf offshore North Carolina. The revised EA provides a discussion of potential impacts of the proposed action and an analysis of reasonable alternatives to the proposed action.

BOEM has defined three wind energy areas in federal waters between three and 200 miles offshore of North Carolina. Two of these areas are off the coast of Wilmington, while the third is to the north, near Kitty Hawk. The Wilmington areas will be integrated into the South Carolina leasing process. The next step in the leasing process will be an environmental assessment of these proposed WEAs. The total area proposed for wind energy leasing off the state coast is about 307,590 acres.

Consistent with the Interior Department´s "Smart from the Start" strategy for offshore wind, each of the Atlantic Wind Energy Areas are designed to make available areas that are attractive for commercial offshore wind develpment, while also protecting important viewsheds, sensitive habitats and resources and minimizing space use conflicts with activities such as military operations, shipping and fishing.