Welcome to the California Offshore Wind Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) Virtual Meeting Room
Your participation is an essential part of BOEM’s renewable energy program and environmental review process.
Introduction
On December 19, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS), which will analyze potential impacts of Federal offshore wind energy development activities on the five offshore wind lease areas off California’s central and north coast. The purpose of the PEIS is to propose programmatic mitigation measures and analyze the impacts from the human and natural environment that could result from adopting those measures.
Comment Period
The NOI initiates a 60-day comment period. As part of this scoping process, BOEM asks stakeholders, organizations, Federal agencies, and Tribal, State, and local governments to submit comments on the scope of the PEIS, including potential alternatives and draft mitigation measures. The public comment period for the California Offshore Wind PEIS ends on February 20, 2024.
Available Documents
The following documents are available for your viewing.
Virtual Scoping Meetings
During the public comment period, BOEM hosted two virtual scoping meetings for the public to learn about the environmental review process and provide comments on the scope of the draft PEIS on February 6 & 8, 2024.
More Information
More information and meeting materials are available on the “Virtual Meetings” tab.
More information is also available on the California Activities page.
Why is BOEM conducting a PEIS?
We want to ensure that BOEM, the public, and stakeholders fully understand any environmental issues from the potential development of offshore wind energy facilities early in the process to inform subsequent decisions.
Why is BOEM conducting a Programmatic EIS (PEIS) for California? Why at this stage in the process?
In accordance with BOEM’s renewable energy regulations, if a Construction and Operations Plan (COP), which is a detailed plan for construction and operation of a wind energy facility on a lease, is submitted, BOEM will conduct a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis. This would most likely take the form of an environmental impact statement (EIS). For California lease areas, BOEM anticipates receiving five COPs within a short time frame. In response to stakeholder requests and to support timely decisions at the COP stage for individual leases, BOEM has decided to pursue a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for all California leases.
Objectives of the PEIS
- To analyze the affected environment and environmental consequence;
- To conduct a high-level cumulative analysis of potential impacts from constructing and operations of existing California leases;
- To establish a framework for tiering of project-specific environmental analyses;
- To identify, analyze, and adopt programmatic mitigation measures; and
- To provide predictability and consistency to cooperating agencies, partners, and developers.
BOEM values the public’s participation in our scoping process and understands the need for efficient yet thorough vetting of these projects.
Next Steps
We intend to issue a ROD following publication of the Final PEIS. Subsequent NEPA analyses will tier to the PEIS, following submission of Construction and Operations Plans by lessees for proposed offshore wind projects. Developing a PEIS that analyzes a representative range of potential projects for California will help streamline the analysis done at the COP stage and allow BOEM to focus on what is unique for each project.
California Offshore Wind Lease Auction Winners
BOEM executed the following California offshore wind energy leases, effective June 1, 2023:
Representative Project Description in the PEIS
How many turbines?
The PEIS will analyze a representative range of project parameters for potential projects expected in the California five lease areas. Developers have not yet submitted their COPs, which will have more detailed information on each project’s size and scope, including the number, size, and type of proposed wind turbine generators and associated facilities. COP specific NEPA analyses will tier to the PEIS and address specific project parameters proposed in each COP.
What type of Wind Turbine Generators (WTGs)?
The PEIS will analyze a representative range of wind turbine generators expected across the five California lease areas. Developers have not yet submitted their COPs, which will have more detailed information on each project’s size and scope, including the number, size, and type of proposed wind turbine generators and associated facilities. COP specific NEPA analyses will tier to the PEIS and address specific project parameters proposed in each COP.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 14: Life Below Water
- SDG 15: Life on Land
The article discusses the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) renewable energy program and the potential impacts of offshore wind energy development on the environment. This connects to SDG 7, which focuses on ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. It also relates to SDG 13, as offshore wind energy is a form of clean energy that can contribute to mitigating climate change. Additionally, the article mentions the impacts on marine life, including birds, marine mammals, sea turtles, and benthic resources, which are relevant to SDG 14 and SDG 15.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 7.2: Increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
- SDG 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning
- SDG 14.2: Sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems
- SDG 15.1: Ensure conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems
The article highlights the potential development of offshore wind energy facilities, which aligns with the target of increasing the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix (SDG 7.2). It also emphasizes the need to analyze and mitigate the environmental impacts of offshore wind energy development, indicating the integration of climate change measures into planning and decision-making processes (SDG 13.2). The impacts on marine life and benthic resources highlight the importance of sustainably managing and protecting marine and coastal ecosystems (SDG 14.2) and terrestrial ecosystems (SDG 15.1).
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Percentage of renewable energy in the global energy mix
- Number of national policies and strategies integrating climate change measures
- Extent of marine and coastal ecosystems sustainably managed and protected
- Extent of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems conserved, restored, and sustainably used
The article does not explicitly mention specific indicators. However, the identified targets can be measured using indicators such as the percentage of renewable energy in the global energy mix, the number of national policies and strategies integrating climate change measures, and the extent of sustainably managed and protected marine and coastal ecosystems. Additionally, the extent of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems conserved, restored, and sustainably used can be used as an indicator to measure progress towards the identified targets.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy | Increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix (7.2) | Percentage of renewable energy in the global energy mix |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning (13.2) | Number of national policies and strategies integrating climate change measures |
| SDG 14: Life Below Water | Sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems (14.2) | Extent of marine and coastal ecosystems sustainably managed and protected |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | Ensure conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems (15.1) | Extent of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems conserved, restored, and sustainably used |
Copyright: Dive into this article, curated with care by SDG Investors Inc. Our advanced AI technology searches through vast amounts of data to spotlight how we are all moving forward with the Sustainable Development Goals. While we own the rights to this content, we invite you to share it to help spread knowledge and spark action on the SDGs.
Fuente: boem.gov
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