Ask the Government to Plan Smarter for Offshore Wind
- by: Ocean Conservancy
- recipient: Director Abigail Hopper, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)
The federal agency in charge of making offshore wind a reality, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), has asked the public how it can do its job better.
The answer? Make ocean planning a fundamental part of the way we plan for offshore wind.
Ocean planning is a tool that:
With this cutting edge data and public engagement, smarter decisions can be made on where offshore wind should go and conflicts with other ocean uses, marine mammals, birds, sea turtles and fish can be avoided.
Join Ocean Conservancy in calling on BOEM to include ocean planning as a key part of its offshore wind program.
The answer? Make ocean planning a fundamental part of the way we plan for offshore wind.
Ocean planning is a tool that:
- Uses the best data and information on everything from whale migration routes and sea turtle habitats to where shipping lanes are located;
- Engages local communities and those who use the ocean — from fishermen to recreational boaters — around a common table to hear everyone's concerns.
With this cutting edge data and public engagement, smarter decisions can be made on where offshore wind should go and conflicts with other ocean uses, marine mammals, birds, sea turtles and fish can be avoided.
Join Ocean Conservancy in calling on BOEM to include ocean planning as a key part of its offshore wind program.
Dear Director Hopper,
Re: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Renewable Energy Program
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) renewable energy program. We are excited about the progress offshore wind energy has made to this date and we thank BOEM for its continued commitment to enhance our renewable energy future. Moreover, we thank BOEM for its engagement in regional ocean planning and its leadership as the co-lead for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Body. Until this point, regional ocean planning and offshore renewable energy siting have largely proceeded in parallel. With ocean plans for both the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic scheduled for completion by the end of 2016, however, BOEM is now presented with a critical opportunity to enhance its offshore renewable energy program. We urge BOEM to use the recent advances in ocean planning as a tool to guide smarter decisions on renewable energy siting.
BOEM is currently evaluating the ways it intends to integrate the tools and recommendations in the regional ocean plans into its renewable energy development processes. We urge BOEM to think broadly about the potential for planning to improve its own internal processes by leveraging data, information, and increased engagement from other federal agencies, states, and stakeholders. There are a multitude of ways planning could help improve BOEM's renewable energy program; we would like to call out two that are of particular importance.
First, the regional ocean plans offer comprehensive, regional-scale data and science to help BOEM more effectively identify potential issues and conflicts during its wind energy planning and analysis phase. This information may also help guide planning for additional site-specific investigations during the leasing and site assessment phases. Given the ever increasing need to balance emerging and existing uses in our crowded ocean, BOEM should commit to using and updating the regional ocean plans' respective data portals as part of its offshore renewable energy permitting program. BOEM should also commit to fill those data gaps identified in the regional ocean plans that would contribute to a more robust offshore development process.
Second, ocean planning not only provides cutting edge data and information, but is also a tool to improve public engagement with those who depend on the ocean for both recreation and their livelihoods. Many ocean users whose interests are affected by proposed offshore energy development are operating at a regional scale. It is not always easy for project proponents or BOEM to accurately identify those users who should be proactively engaged early in the process. Regional ocean planning provides a mechanism to connect both project proponents and BOEM to affected ocean stakeholders in federal and state government agencies, tribes, in relevant industries, and in the public.
By fully integrating the regional planning process into its renewable energy program, we believe BOEM will improve permitting predictability and timelines while reducing conflicts with ocean uses, marine mammals, birds, sea turtles, and fishes. Improvements in permitting predictability, protection of ocean ecosystems, and reduction of conflicts will go a long way to increase investor interest in offshore wind all while saving BOEM time and money.
[Your comments]
Thank you for your work to date on this important energy issue. We look forward to your continued engagement and leadership in ocean planning.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Sign PetitionSign PetitionRe: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Renewable Energy Program
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) renewable energy program. We are excited about the progress offshore wind energy has made to this date and we thank BOEM for its continued commitment to enhance our renewable energy future. Moreover, we thank BOEM for its engagement in regional ocean planning and its leadership as the co-lead for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Body. Until this point, regional ocean planning and offshore renewable energy siting have largely proceeded in parallel. With ocean plans for both the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic scheduled for completion by the end of 2016, however, BOEM is now presented with a critical opportunity to enhance its offshore renewable energy program. We urge BOEM to use the recent advances in ocean planning as a tool to guide smarter decisions on renewable energy siting.
BOEM is currently evaluating the ways it intends to integrate the tools and recommendations in the regional ocean plans into its renewable energy development processes. We urge BOEM to think broadly about the potential for planning to improve its own internal processes by leveraging data, information, and increased engagement from other federal agencies, states, and stakeholders. There are a multitude of ways planning could help improve BOEM's renewable energy program; we would like to call out two that are of particular importance.
First, the regional ocean plans offer comprehensive, regional-scale data and science to help BOEM more effectively identify potential issues and conflicts during its wind energy planning and analysis phase. This information may also help guide planning for additional site-specific investigations during the leasing and site assessment phases. Given the ever increasing need to balance emerging and existing uses in our crowded ocean, BOEM should commit to using and updating the regional ocean plans' respective data portals as part of its offshore renewable energy permitting program. BOEM should also commit to fill those data gaps identified in the regional ocean plans that would contribute to a more robust offshore development process.
Second, ocean planning not only provides cutting edge data and information, but is also a tool to improve public engagement with those who depend on the ocean for both recreation and their livelihoods. Many ocean users whose interests are affected by proposed offshore energy development are operating at a regional scale. It is not always easy for project proponents or BOEM to accurately identify those users who should be proactively engaged early in the process. Regional ocean planning provides a mechanism to connect both project proponents and BOEM to affected ocean stakeholders in federal and state government agencies, tribes, in relevant industries, and in the public.
By fully integrating the regional planning process into its renewable energy program, we believe BOEM will improve permitting predictability and timelines while reducing conflicts with ocean uses, marine mammals, birds, sea turtles, and fishes. Improvements in permitting predictability, protection of ocean ecosystems, and reduction of conflicts will go a long way to increase investor interest in offshore wind all while saving BOEM time and money.
[Your comments]
Thank you for your work to date on this important energy issue. We look forward to your continued engagement and leadership in ocean planning.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
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