BOEM faces backlash following announcement of finalized wind energy areas - KCBY.com 11

BOEM faces backlash following announcement of finalized wind energy areas

COOS COUNTY, Ore. — The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) inches closer to achieving the Biden Administration's goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy in the next six years.

In August of 2023, BOEM announced draft wind energy areas (WEAs) spanning about 219,568 acres, and today final WEAs were announced.

Those areas include 61,204 acres about 32 miles from shore in Coos Bay and 133,808 acres 18 miles off of Brookings.

BOEM says the areas could yield 2.4 gigawatts of energy production.

Governor Tina Kotek expressed her support of the update saying:
Offshore wind is likely to play an important role in meeting our state’s growing energy demand and goal of 100% renewable energy by 2040. It also presents a significant economic development opportunity for the Oregon coast. As BOEM moves forward with establishing a federal offshore wind leasing process this year, Oregon is committed to developing a robust and transparent state roadmap to inform offshore wind opportunities. This state roadmap will also ensure that coastal communities and Tribal nations are consulted throughout the process, in close coordination with BOEM. We will continue to promote active engagement with Tribal nations, local communities, and other ocean users in the state. We will ensure that all decisions are transparent and based upon the best available science and knowledge.

Public meetings were held throughout Coos and Curry counties last fall to take feedback from the community and stakeholders on the draft WEAs.

One of those stakeholders, the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians issued a letter Tuesday morning on the announcement:
The Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians are extremely disappointed in today’s decision by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management...Today’s decision authorizes approximately 195,012 acres for wind energy development, in areas that are within the Tribe’s ancestral territory, contain viewsheds of significant cultural and historic significance to the Tribe, and are important areas for Tribal fishing.

The letter goes on to quote Tribal Council Chair Brad Kneaper saying:
BOEM had the courtesy to communicate its decision to the State well ahead of its public release and waited until the eleventh hour to send the Tribe an email about its decision. This illustrates well the failure of BOEM to meet its obligations to consult with the Tribe and to meaningfully consider its concerns. We would have at least expected a phone call from BOEM...“BOEM’s press release states that it has ‘engaged’ with the Tribe, but that engagement has amounted to listening to the Tribe’s concerns and ignoring them.

In response to local uneasiness about the wind farms, BOEM's regional supervisor, Necy Sumait, says:
I think I want to reach out say... continue to listen, knowledge is really the key. Floating offshore wind is already in operation in other parts of the world, the technology is there. And so, I think to the extent that BOEM can help to educate the general public, or whoever, that wants more information on offshore wind. I think, that's what I hope people would do, to seek more information to try to address their concerns.

Executive Director of Midwater Trawlers Heather Mann, speaking on behalf of Protect US Fishermen which includes about 20 fishing organizations, says the announcement came as a gut punch.

"There was significant push back to those areas and why those areas are important...not just for fish species and migrating whales...which BOEM has largely ignored," said Mann. "The tribes have been completely ignored. Fishermen and coastal communities have been ignored. What they're doing is trying to position themselves as having done adequate authentic engagement, and they haven't."

Mann calls the project a gigantic experiment with no research on how turbines will impact the coastal current and navigation within wind farms due to radar interference.

On Wednesday, BOEM will publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing its intent to prepare an environmental assessment of potential impacts from offshore wind leasing in the two WEAs.

This will initiate a 30-day public comment period.

Another public comment period would follow if BOEM moves ahead with a lease sale.

Several developers including BlueFloat Energy Oregon LLC and Avangrid Renewables LLC have submitted nominations and financially qualified to develop in the WEAs.

View WEA's at boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/Oregon