The Biden administration has finalized two areas for situating floating offshore wind farms along the Oregon coast. The move is part of broader efforts to deploy up to 15 gigawatts of electricity through various floating sites by 2035, which will power millions of homes.
The two locations, covering about 195,012 acres, are both located offshore of southern Oregon, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced in a Feb. 13 press release.
One area is located 32 miles (52 kilometers) off the coast of Coos Bay, covering approximately 61,204 acres. The other is situated 18 miles (29 kilometers) from the shore of the small city of Brookings, near the California state line, and spans 133,808 acres, according to officials.
Both zones avoid 98 percent of the areas recommended not to be included as part of the offshore wind farm plan due to their importance as commercial fishing grounds, BOEM said.
The two areas were chosen following “extensive engagement and feedback” from the state, tribes, residents, ocean users, federal government partners, and other members of the public, BOEM noted.
The final zones selected are based on “reducing potential conflicts of ocean users, particularly on commercial fishing,” officials said.
Potential Impacts Assessed, BOEM Says
The announcement brings Oregon closer to commercially developing and producing a renewable energy source, although BOEM noted that it will now need to prepare an environmental assessment on the potential impacts of leasing offshore wind farms. There will be a 30-day public comment period on the matter, and another public comment period may be held if BOEM decides to move forward with a lease sale in either of the areas.BOEM said it also partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) to assess areas to deploy offshore wind farms and reduce or avoid impacts on other important ocean uses in Oregon.
“The agencies developed a comprehensive, ecosystem-based ocean planning model that leverages the best available data on natural resources, ocean industries like fisheries and energy production, and areas of national security activities to identify areas with high wind energy resource potential and fewer potential impacts to other ocean users and sensitive environmental resources,” officials said.
BOEM also said it finalized the two offshore wind farm areas after consulting with local tribes.
‘Green Colonialism’
“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 and providing promises that they may be dealt with at some later stage of the process,” said Tribal Council chair Brad Kneaper.“BOEM has failed to recognize that wind development has impacted the tribe and has failed to assure that wind energy development will do good and not harm the tribe, its members, and the greater coastal community,” he continued. “The tribe will not stand by while a project is developed that causes it more harm than good, this is simply green colonialism.”
In an emailed statement to The Epoch Times, a spokesperson for BOEM said the agency, in close coordination with the state of Oregon, “has conducted a robust and transparent planning process, including early engagement with Tribal governments, state, and federal agencies, local communities, and ocean users, including the fishing community.”
“Oregon renewable energy coordination began in September 2011 with the first meeting of the BOEM Oregon Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force (Task Force). In 2019, the Task Force initiated a conversation among Tribal, federal, state, and local governmental members regarding potential offshore wind planning in Oregon in response to industry interest in potential wind development,” the spokesperson said. “Since 2020, BOEM has been engaging with Tribes, fishing groups, coastal communities and key stakeholders to inform the determination of the Final WEAs. Getting input from our government partners and key stakeholders is an important part of BOEM’s decision-making process before deciding on whether to lease any offshore areas for wind energy development.”
“BOEM and the State of Oregon will continue to partner on future offshore wind opportunities. Together, we will continue to promote active engagement with Tribal nations, local communities, and other ocean users in the state, and to ensure that all decisions are transparent and based upon the best available science and knowledge,” the statement concluded.
The fishing industry also pushed back against the offshore wind energy developments, arguing that their concerns regarding the impact on fishing grounds—which could potentially be destroyed—have yet to be addressed.
The Biden administration’s Department of the Interior has so far approved six commercial-scale offshore wind energy projects near New York, New Jersey, and offshore in the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts.
President Biden has set a goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030 using technology that secures wind turbines to the ocean floor.
