The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced Monday that it has executed the first floating offshore wind energy research lease in the U.S., awarding an area of around 15,000 acres to the state of Maine.
The lease, located 28 nautical miles offshore Maine, allows the deployment of up to 12 floating offshore wind turbines totaling 144 MW of generation, BOEM said. Maine has designated Pine Tree Offshore Wind as the operator of the research lease.
The Gulf of Maine is already home to the 11-MW New England Aqua Ventus floating offshore wind pilot project in state-owned waters. The new lease “is needed to conduct important technological, operational, and scientific research to inform future floating offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Maine,” according to the Maine Offshore Wind Initiative, which is overseen by the energy office of Gov. Janet Mills, D.
“The research array will provide critical firsthand experience with a multi-turbine array, which will unlock greater understanding of how future floating wind farms will integrate with the marine environment and existing ocean uses,” the Maine Offshore Wind Initiative’s website says.
BOEM said that the research array will allow the state, along with the fishing community and other stakeholders, to “thoroughly” evaluate offshore wind as a potential energy source for the region.
“Floating wind opens up opportunities to produce renewable energy in deeper water farther offshore,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein.
BOEM said that information the array’s research will gather will “inform responsible commercial floating offshore wind development in the future” and allow both BOEM and Maine to capitalize on innovative technology while protecting marine interests and industries.
“As a research lease, the State of Maine or its designated operator will propose and conduct research regarding environmental and engineering aspects of the proposed project. This information will be made public and used to inform future planning, permitting, and construction of commercial-scale floating offshore wind projects in the region,” BOEM said.
Construction activity on the array is unlikely to take place in the next few years, according to BOEM. First, the lessee will have to submit a research activities plan for BOEM to evaluate under the National Environmental Policy Act.
