Posted on April 11, 2022
April 7 (Renewables Now) – The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Wednesday released its draft environmental assessment (EA) of the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area offshore central California, starting a 30-day public review and comment period.
The Morro Bay Wind Energy Area of about 240,898 acres (97,488 ha) could deliver up to 3 GW of offshore wind capacity, according to the agency. It was officially designated for wind turbine installation in November 2021.
BOEM said it will consider all comments before completing its analysis. The environmental assessment is a step towards a proposed lease sale.
The draft review looks into potential environmental impacts and socioeconomic effects from issuing offshore wind energy leases and associated site characterisation and assessment activities such as geophysical, geotechnical, archaeological and biological surveys or the deployment of meteorological buoys.
In 2021, the US outlined plans for BOEM to hold up to seven new offshore lease sales by 2025, with a lease sale for northern and central California anticipated in September 2022. As part of this, the New York Bight offshore wind sale was carried out in February and an auction offshore the Carolinas is planned for May 11.
