The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has identified a draft wind energy area (WEA) in the Gulf of Maine covering approximately 3,519,067 acres offshore Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
The Gulf of Maine has significant opportunities for offshore wind energy development and the identified area ranges from approximately 23–120 miles off the coast. Due to the deep waters within the Gulf, these areas are also an opportunity to accelerate the floating wind sector in the US.
The draft WEA has a capacity of over 40 GW, which exceeds the current combined offshore wind energy planning goals for the Gulf of Maine states – 10 GW for Massachusetts and 3 GW for Maine. Future adjustments to the draft WEA will likely be made after incorporating feedback during the comment period while striving to retain sufficient area to meet the Gulf of Maine states’ planning goals.
To identify the draft WEA, BOEM worked collaboratively with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science to develop an ocean planning model that identifies and minimizes conflicts with coastal and marine resources and ocean users.
BOEM also met with and incorporated feedback from Tribes, fishers, and the public to refine the model and inform the potential offshore locations that appear most suitable for floating offshore wind energy development.
The draft WEA avoids Lobster Management Area 1 and all North Atlantic Right Whale Restricted Areas as well as other important fishing areas and habitats, including important groundfish areas east of the Western Gulf of Maine Closure and within the 10-kilometer buffer from Georges Bank, Platts Bank, Parker Ridge, and Three Dory Ridge.
