1. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
U.S. Outer Continental Shelf Renewable Energy
Photo courtesy Deepwater Wind
James Bennett
Chief, Office of Renewable Energy Programs
Overview
Mandates
Resource Programs
Map of U.S. OCS & Issues
Renewable Energy Program
Offshore Renewable Energy
4 Stage Renewable Energy Authorization Process
Intergovernmental Task Force
Current Status & Activities
Atlantic OCS Activities
Pacific OCS Activities
State-by-State
Issues
Ocean Planning
Visual Effects
Turbine Size
Visual Simulations
Visual Simulation Offshore North Carolina
Environmental Studies Program
RODEO
Technology Assessment Program
Recent Studies
Current Projects
More Info/Questions
Business Network for Offshore Wind State-of-the-States
January 26, 2018

2. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Energy
Vital national resource
Expedition and orderly development
Environmental safeguards
Lease energy from sources other than oil and gas
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) | Sec 3(3) Energy Policy Act of | Sec. 388
OREP:
EPAct (amendment to OCLSA) requires that BOEM coordinate with relevant Federal agencies and affected state and local governments, obtain fair return for leases and grants issued, and ensure that renewable energy development takes place in a safe and environmentally-responsible manner.
Other than oil & gas (e.g., wind, wave, ocean current, and transmission projects)
Wind — Since 2009, BOEM has issued or offered nine commercial leases offshore Massachusetts (3), Rhode Island (2), Delaware (1), Virginia (1), and Maryland (2). 
Wave — In February 2014, BOEM determined there was no competitive interest for commercial leasing off Oregon
Ocean Current —In June 2014, BOEM issued research lease to Florida Atlantic University for resource data collection and technology testing off southeast Florida
Transmission — multi-phase project between Virginia and New Jersey/New York has been proposed; individual projects off Rhode Island and Hawaii
Focus on multiple-use
Work within the current authorities and responsibilities of agencies and continue ongoing activities
Final Regulations announced by President Obama on Earth Day 2009

3. Recipe for Success: Wind Resources
This map shows the annual average wind power estimates at a height of 50 meters. It is a combination of high resolution and low resolution datasets produced by NREL and other organizations. The data was screened to eliminate areas unlikely to be developed onshore due to land use or environmental issues. In many states, the wind resource on this map is visually enhanced to better show the distribution on ridge crests and other features.
This map shows the annual average wind power estimates at a height of 50 meters. It is a combination of high resolution and low resolution datasets produced by NREL and other organizations. The data was screened to eliminate areas unlikely to be developed onshore due to land use or environmental issues. In many states, the wind resource on this map is visually enhanced to better show the distribution on ridge crests and other features.

4. Recipe for Success: Buildable Environment
Credit: National Renewable Energy Laboratory

5. Recipe for Success: Market Demand

6. Atlantic OCS Renewable Energy Activities
 University of Massachusetts Wind Energy Center
Massachusetts
New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal
Rhode Island / Massachusetts
Wind Technology Testing Center
New York
Quonset Point & ProvPort
New Jersey
Delaware
Sparrow Point
Maryland
Clemson Turbine Testing Facility
Virginia
Gulf Island Fabrication
Kitty Hawk
Wilmington WEA
Maine: No federal interest.
New Hampshire: State asked for example task force letter; no formal request for task force to date.
Massachusetts: In January 2015, BOEM held a competitive lease sale (its fourth) for wind energy development in Federal waters offshore Massachusetts. RES America Developments, Inc. (later assigned to DONG) and Offshore MW LLC as winners. SAPs are due for the lease areas on April 1, 2016 – both lessees have requested a 1-year extension of the preliminary term and OREP is evaluating those requests. Next step for Cape Wind is to receive a response to information request regarding decommissioning and process COP revision #2.
Rhode Island/Massachusetts: July Deepwater Wind New England, LLC was the winner of both lease areas. The auction received $3,838,288 in high bids. The next step is to receive SAP or COP. In December 2014, ROW grant was executed. Next step Sea2Shore (previously BITS) is to review FDR, FIR, and SMS.
New York: On Mar. 16, 2016, Area ID was completed and the NY WEA was established. A Task Force meeting is being scheduled for late April to discuss the draft PSN.
New Jersey: November 2015 –RES America Developments Inc., bid $880,715 for lease area OCS-A 0498 (transfer to DONG), and US Wind Inc., bid $1,006,240 for OCS-A 0499.
Delaware: December 2012 – Bluewater Wind. OREP is coordinating with BWW on next steps for processing the SAP in light of a potential lease assignment.
Maryland: August 2014 – U.S. Wind winner of both leases, for a total bid of $8,701,098 for about 80,000 acres. Next step is to process SAP and COP survey plan.
Virginia: September 2013 – Dominion Power winner of the nation’s second competitive lease sale, garnering $1.6M in high bids for 112,799 acres. Next step is to receive updated COP survey plan and process SAP.
March Executed the first wind energy research with DMME (VOWTAP). Next step is to finalize RAP decision and process SAP.
North Carolina: August 2014 – identified 3 WEAs. A Task Force meeting is being scheduled for discuss the draft PSN.
South Carolina: Published Call & NOI in late November Scoping meetings held in January Comment period for Call closed January 25, 2016 – two nominations received. OREP is currently processing the Call and next step is area identification.
Florida: June year IP lease FAU for MHK testing (next step is submittal of project plan). This is the first time a lease has been issued to test ocean current energy equipment in Federal waters.
University of Massachusetts Wind Energy Center: A leading institution in wind energy engineering nationally and internationally. Since 1972 the Center has worked diligently to maintain and enhance its important wind energy education programs and research activities. The Wind Energy Center (WEC, formerly the Renewable Energy Research Laboratory) is a unique program that has distinguished the University of Massachusetts as the national leader in wind energy education, academic research, and service to government and industry.  
New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal:  New Beford, MA harbor. Operated by MassCEC, the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal is a multi-purpose facility designed to support the construction of offshore wind projects. Its the first of its kind in North 
America. The 3 federal lease holders off MA have signed a letter of intent to lease the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal as a staging and deployment location for future projects. 
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s (MassCEC) Wind Technology Testing Center (WTTC) offers a full suite of certification tests for turbine blades up to 90 meters in length.  WTTC also offers the latest wind turbine blade testing and prototype development methodologies to help the wind industry deploy the next generation of land-based and offshore wind turbine technologies.  The blade testing is in Charlestown, MA (i.e., Boston). 
Quonset Point and ProvPort: Deepwater Wind used four Rhode Island ports – at Block Island, Galilee, Quonset Point and ProvPort – to complete construction and staging.  Various pieces of the project arrived in Rhode Island at Quonset, including the steel jackets and more than 28 miles of cable. The turbines and blades were staged at ProvPort
Sparrow Point: Tradepoint Atlantic is located at Sparrows Point, a large area of land in southeastern Baltimore County, Maryland, which sits adjacent to Dundalk, Maryland. It is a terminal within the Port of Baltimore. As part of the OREC approval, MD PSC requires the developers to upgrade port facilities and invest in steel fabrication at Sparrows Point. Tradepoint Atlantic is overseeing the 3,100-acre redevelopment of the former Sparrows Point steel mill.
Clemson Blade Facility: Clemson/SC is a turbine testing facility
On Nov. 23, 2009 the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy awarded a $45 million grant – the largest single award in university history and largest single grant by the U.S. DOE for wind power – to Clemson University. The purpose of the grant was to design, build and operate a facility capable of full-scale, highly accelerated testing of next-generation wind turbine drive-train technology.
The US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy objectives for the project are to:
Accelerate the development and deployment of new wind turbine technology.
Reduce the cost of energy delivered that will result in further growth in the market leading to economic development.
Support the country’s push towards energy independence.
The $98M facility, which includes $53M of private and state contributions, is strategically located at the Clemson University Restoration Institute’s (CURI) campus at the former U.S. Naval Base in North Charleston, South Carolina. Modeled after the success of the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research, the facility forges public/private partnerships in a unique industrial, port environment.
The world-class facility was named the SCE&G Energy Innovation Center during a dedication ceremony in November The center houses the world’s most-advanced wind-turbine drivetrain testing facility capable of full-scale highly accelerated mechanical and electrical testing of advanced drivetrain systems for wind turbines.
The Duke Energy eGRID — Electrical Grid Research Innovation and Development — Center is housed in the SCE&G Energy Innovation Center. The 15-megawatt hardware-in-the-loop grid simulator supports education, research and economic development to speed new electrical technologies to market. The eGRID can simulate the electrical grid of any country in the world.
Gulf Island Fabricators: Gulf Island Fabrication is a diversified, publicly traded corporation that has grown to be a worldwide leader in the fabrication, maintenance and servicing of structures, facilities and vessels within the energy sector and beyond.  With several locations along the Gulf Coast, our craftsman have built a number of “first of it’s kind” and largest steel structures across the globe.
South Carolina Call Area

7. OCS Renewable Energy Authorization Process
Planning & Analysis
Leasing
Site Assessment
Construction & Operations
2 Years
1-2 Years
5 Years
2 Years (+25)
Intergovernmental Task Force
Call for Information & Nominations (Call)
Area Identification
Environmental Reviews
Proposed Sale Notice (PSN)
Final Sale Notice (FSN)
Auction
Issue Lease(s)
Site Characterization
(i.e. Geophysical & Geological Surveys, Biological Surveys, etc.)
Site Assessment Plan (SAP)
(i.e. Meteorological buoy or tower)
Construction & Operations Plan (COP)
Facility Design Report (FDR)
Fabrication and Installation Report (FIR)
Decommissioning
Planning and Analysis (2 years)
The Planning and Analysis phase seeks to identify suitable areas for wind energy leasing consideration through collaborative, consultative, and analytical processes that engage stakeholders, tribes, and State and Federal government agencies. This is the phase when BOEM conducts environmental compliance reviews and consultations with Tribes, States, and natural resource agencies.
Leasing (1-2 years)
The Leasing phase results in the issuance of a commercial wind energy lease. Leases may be issued either through a competitive or noncompetitive process. A commercial lease gives the lessee the exclusive right to subsequently seek BOEM approval for the development of the leasehold. The lease does not grant the lessee the right to construct any facilities; rather, the lease grants the right to use the lease area to develop its plans, which must be approved by BOEM before the lessee can move on to the next stage of the process.
Site Assessment (5 years)
The Site Assessment phase includes the submission of a site assessment plan (SAP), which contains the lessee's detailed proposal for the construction of a meteorological tower and/or the installation of meteorological buoys on the leasehold. The lessee’s SAP must be approved by BOEM before it conducts these "site assessment" activities on the leasehold. BOEM may approve, approve with modification, or disapprove a lessee's SAP. It is also during this phase that the lessee would conduct site characterization surveys and studies (e.g. , avian, marine mammal, archeological). Lessee has up to 5 years to conduct these activities.
Construction and Operations (2-3 years)
The Construction and Operations phase consists of the submission of a Construction and Operations Plan (COP), which is a detailed plan for the construction and operation of a wind energy project on the lease. BOEM conducts environmental and technical reviews of the COP and decides whether to approve, approve with modification, or disapprove the COP. Prior to the end of the lease term, the developer must submit a plan to decommission facilities. Operations term is typically 25 years.

8. OCS Renewable Energy Intergovernmental State Task Forces
Atlantic
Maine
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
New York
New Jersey
Delaware
Maryland
Virginia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Florida
Pacific
Oregon
Hawaii
California
Intergovernmental Task Force Meetings
BOEM works with interested and affected federal, state, local and tribal governments through intergovernmental renewable energy task forces, established with 13 coastal states to date. Meetings are following by public question and answer sessions. 
The State/Federal Task Forces BOEM has established with individual states have allowed effective involvement of federal and state agencies, and tribal, and local partners early in the planning process with the goal of more efficient leasing and permitting.
For example, this early coordination helped BOEM identify areas in federal waters off the Rhode Island and Massachusetts coasts with the best wind resources and the fewest potential conflicts:
State-led efforts to create Marine Plans, as in Rhode Island’s SAMP -- Special Area Management Plan – have contributed substantially to BOEM and industry evaluations of potential wind energy areas.
A key multiple use issue was identified in the Rhode Island/Massachusetts Wind Energy Area -- potential conflicts between commercial wind and commercial fishing activities.
By working with our intergovernmental renewable energy task forces and the Fishery Advisory Board established by Rhode Island, BOEM gathered the needed data and information to remove fishing grounds (Cox’s Ledge) identified as important to four or more commercial fishing gear types from further consideration for commercial wind leasing.
The first BOEM California Renewable Energy Intergovernmental Task Force meeting is scheduled to convene on October 13. 

9. Challenges: Planning Considerations
Commercial and recreational fishing
Viewshed/Visual impact
Archaeological and cultural sites
Protected species (marine mammals, birds, turtles)
Sensitive offshore habitats (e.g., cold water corals, essential fish habitats)
DOD and NASA offshore training and exercise areas
Historic sites and places
Port access
Navigation and safety
Migratory birds

10. Environmental Studies
Funds for Renewable Energy Information Needs | FY Cumulative (~$30M)
Habitat & Ecology (48%)
Social Science & Economics (19%)
Fates & Effects (11%)
Information Management (11%)
Marine Mammals & Protected Species (9%)
Air Quality (2%)
Physical Oceanography (>1%)
Includes obligations for studies in all regions supporting environmental information needs for renewable energy, totaling $29.3 million
BOEM is working through the Environmental Studies Program (ESP) to collect information to determine and evaluate the effects of renewable OCS activities on natural, historical, and human resources and the appropriate monitoring and mitigating of those effects.
The ESP was established by OCLSA, to provide information for sound decision-making and management.  BOEM is partnering with other Federal agencies including the Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Department of Energy, United States Geological Survey, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to acquire the information to meet these agencies' mandates.
BOEM co-funds studies with states to address mutual information needs.

11. Real-time Opportunity for Development Environmental Observations (RODEO)
Air Quality
How many ships are used for construction of offshore wind energy facilities?
What types of ships (e.g. jack-up rig) and what are their emissions (pollutant type)?
How long do these construction activities occur – duration?
Sound
What is the intensity and duration of sound generated during pile driving?
What level of sound is created by the vessels?
What levels of sound are made during operations?
Seafloor Disturbance
What are the anchor patterns of the vessels used?
What types of scarring occurs from the anchor chains?
What is the duration of the cable laying for different installation methods?
What is the extent of disturbance during cable laying for different installation methods?

12. Technology Assessment Program
Managed by BSEE with BOEM funding
27 Renewable Energy Studies completed since 2005:
Standards/Regulations
Marine/Hydrokinetic
Inspections/Safety
Environmental
Fixed Bottom Turbines
Floating Wind Turbines
Gap formation in over-consolidated clay
Six new projects just awarded dealing with design of monopiles, suction buckets, structural monitoring and modeling, and breaking wave effects on foundations.

13. The Path Forward: Steel in the Water
Photo courtesy Deepwater Wind

14. High-Potential Forecast Areas Criteria
Presents limited visual impacts (> 10 nautical miles from shore)
Does not have DoD constraints (not a DoD-assessed red area)
Does not have significant navigation constraints (not within a TSS; may also use AIS data)
Is suitable for bottom-founded technology (<60 meter depth)
Has active state engagement in offshore renewable development
Has market incentive/offtake legislation or policy
Has not been removed during previous lease area determinations
Has expressed industry interest (e.g., unsolicited request/nomination)

15. Office of Renewable Energy Programs
Leasing
Since 2009, BOEM has issued 13 commercial wind energy leases in the Atlantic
Upcoming Lease Sales in MA & NY
Site Assessment Plans (SAP)
3 approved (MA, RI, VA)
3 processing (MD, MA, NJ)
Construction and Operations Plans (COP)
1 approved (Cape Wind)
1 processing (Vineyard Wind)
Planning activities continue off Hawaii, California, Carolina and the New York Bight
Management and incorporation of results from 11 ongoing environmental studies, 6 ongoing technology studies and dozens of completed studies.
14 Intergovernmental Renewable Energy State Task Forces
Interagency collaborative efforts (e.g., CEQ Subgroup)
Regulatory review & guidelines (e.g., Design Envelope)

16. More Information
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Renewable Energy Program Oil & Gas Program Regulatory Information