The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced May 5 that its environmental analysis of possible impacts from offshore wind energy leasing within the Humboldt Wind Energy Area 20 miles off the Northern California coast determined no significant impact.
The newly completed Environmental Assessment looked at the area encompassing 206.8 square miles, which could generate as much as 1.6 GW of clean energy and power roughly 560,000 homes
“The completion of this Environmental Assessment represents an important step forward for ensuring that any future renewable energy development – should a lease sale occur — is done in a responsible manner,” said BOEM Director Amanda Lefton.
“Working closely with Tribes, state and federal partners and key stakeholders, BOEM remains focused on ensuring that such development is done in a way that avoids or reduces potential impacts to the environment and other ocean users in the region,” she said.
If a lease sale happens, BOEM is expected to create an Environmental Impact Statement before any offshore wind energy facility can be built within the Humboldt WEA. The EIS looks at the environmental and socioeconomic impacts to that project.
More information is available at www.boem.gov/California.
