Proposal for 2 offshore Wind Energy Areas in Oregon finalized - KOIN.com

Oregon offshore wind energy plans near Coos Bay, Brookings finalized

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN) – A proposal to build two offshore Wind Energy Areas off the Oregon coast has been finalized, federal officials announced Tuesday.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management‘s proposal includes one Wind Energy Area 32 miles offshore Coos Bay, spanning 61,204 acres.

The second Wind Energy Area would span 133,808 acres about 18 miles offshore Brookings.

The WEAs would total approximately 195,012 acres and avoid 98% of the areas recommended for exclusion because of their importance to fishing grounds, officials said.

The bureau said their proposal was developed with feedback from several stakeholders including the state, Tribes, residents, and members of the fishing industry.

“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,” Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement. “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,” she continued.

The areas hold 2.4 gigawatts of clean renewable energy potential, BOEM said – noting the Biden administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, and 15 GW of floating offshore wind energy capacity by 2035.

“BOEM values its close coordination with the State of Oregon as we continue to work together to maintain a robust and transparent offshore wind planning process,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “We will continue to work closely with Tribal governments, federal and state government agencies, ocean users, coastal communities and all interested stakeholders as we move forward with our environmental review.”

On Wednesday, BOEM will publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing its intent to prepare an environmental assessment of potential impacts from the WEAs ahead of a 30-day public comment period.