Offshore Wind

RIDEM Involvement in Offshore Wind Development

The RIDEM is supportive of offshore wind energy development in an effort to mitigate the impacts of climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Our agency is committed to ensuring that the local and regional environmental and socioeconomic impacts of offshore wind development are minimized. The DEM contributes to the successful development of offshore wind farms by:

Providing the best available science and data to understand potential impacts of development on both marine resources and the fisheries the depend on them
Working directly with wind developers to make project siting and layout recommendations to minimize fishing and environmental impact to RI resources
Reviewing and analyzing raw trawl and ventless lobster survey data collected as part of a Before-After-Control-Impact assessment of the Block Island Wind Farm to better understand potential impacts of offshore wind development on local species and habitats
- These data were collected by Deepwater Wind contractors per the requirements of an RIDEM Water Quality Certificate (WQC# 12-037).
- Deepwater Wind has provided funds to the State of Rhode Island to allow RIDEM to independently analyze these data.
Reviewing all submitted materials from Deepwater Wind and National Grid to ensure permit compliance (i.e., EMF surveys, hardbottom habitat monitoring, cable burial surveys)
Organizing Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council meetings with developers to create added opportunities for public input
Working as a cooperating agency to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) during the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) permitting process
- This entails reviewing and providing constructive input on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and the Final Environmental Impact Statement.
Serving on both the Rhode Island Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force and engaging on the New York Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force under BOEM.
Contributing directly to the creation of a regional collaborative to study the impacts of offshore wind development on marine habitats, fish, invertebrates, and the fishing industries that rely upon them.

RIDEM Wind Research Priorities

RIDEM Wind Research Priorities (November 2023)

DEM Products

Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) Analysis

Please note that there are still limitations to this approach. Not all fisheries are covered by VMS; for example, there are no VMS or VTR requirements for the lobster or Jonah Crab fisheries and therefore, we cannot estimate the economic value of these fisheries using this approach. Additionally, VMS is relatively new technology, there is not 100% coverage for all fisheries, and those with full coverage now may not have had full coverage until recently (e.g squid did not require VMS until 2014). Consequently, earlier years should be interpreted cautiously and with a strong understanding of each of the datasets utilized.

Maps

Map of Lobster Management Areas and the Wind Energy Areas

BIWF Cable Lay Map - LORAN

BIWF Cable Lay Map - Matting

BIWF Cable Lay Map - Decimal Degrees

Comment Letters

Information on Federal Offshore Wind Development Process

The federal Outer Continental Shelf Permitting Process (used by BOEM in leasing wind energy areas)

Stage 1: Planning and Analysis

Stakeholder Engagement and Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force Coordination
Announce Area Identification (WEA)
Conduct Environmental Assessment (site characterization under National Environmental Policy Act

Stage 2: Leasing

Continue Stakeholder Engagement through Task Forces
Issues leases (noncompetitive) or hold lease sales (competitive)

Stage 3: Site Assessment

Lessee conducts site characterization
Lessee submits and Site Assessment Plan (SAP)
BOEM reviews SAP form and environmental and technical standpoints
If approved, lessee assesses site, usually with meteorological tower(s) and/or buoy(s)

Stage 4: Commercial Development

Lessee may conduct additional site characterization
Lessee submits a Construction and Operations Plan (COP) to BOEM for review and approve
BOEM prepared an Environmental Impact Statement (required under the National Environmental Policy Act
Approved project receives a 25-year lease term and builds

illustration of federal offshore wind development process

Image courtesy of BOEM

Click to sign up for email updates from BOEM (e.g. public comment periods opening and public meeting notifications).
Information on BOEM Leasing Process
- Commercial Leasing Process Fact Sheet
- Authorization Process Guide
BOEM Activities in Rhode Island
BOEM Activities in Massachusetts which may affect RI fishing and marine resources
BOEM Activities in New York which may affect RI fishing and marine resources

Ongoing Federal Projects

map of wind energy areas in southern new england

Project	Company	MW Capacity	Mariners Website	Lease Area	Region
Block Island Wind Farm	Deepwater Wind/Ørsted	30 MW to RI	Mariners Website	NA	Rhode Island
Revolution Wind	Ørsted and Eversource	704 MW (400 to RI, 304 to CT)	Mariners Website	OCS-A 0486	Southern New England
South Fork Wind Farm	Ørsted and Eversource	132 MW to NY (Long Island)	Mariners Website	OCS-A 0517	Southern New England
Sunrise Wind	Ørsted and Eversource	924 MW to NY	Mariners Website	OCS-A 0487	Southern New England
Bay State Wind	Ørsted and Eversource	Up to 2,000 MW	Mariners Website	OCS-A 0500	Southern New England
Vineyard Wind I	Vineyard Wind 1, LLC (Copenhagen Investment Partners and Avangrid Renewables, LLC)	800 MW to MA	Mariners Website	OCS-A 0501	Southern New England
Commonweath Wind	Avangrid Renewables, LLC	1,232 MW to MA	Mariners Website	OCS-A 0534	Southern New England
Park City Wind	Avangrid Renewables, LLC	804 MW to CT	Mariners Website	OCS-A 0534	Southern New England
Beacon Wind	Equinor and BP	1,230 MW to NY	Mariners Website	OCS-A 0520	Southern New England
SouthCoast Wind	Shell and Ocean Winds	1,200 MW to MA (up to 2,400 MW)	Mariners Website	OCS-A 0521	Southern New England
TBD	Vineyard Wind (Copenhagen Investment Partners)	Up to 2,500 MW	NA	OCS-A 0522	Southern New England
Empire Wind 1 & 2	Equinor and BP	2,100 MW to NY	Mariners Website	OCS-A 0512	NY/NJ Bight

Additional Resources

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and New England Fishery Management Council Page on Wind in the Northeast
BOEM Page on Offshore Wind and Fisheries
Regional Ocean Data Portals
- The Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Ocean data portals are online public resources that consolidate spatial data for marine spatial planning. Layers include fishing areas (VMS and VTR), shipping lanes, areas of fisheries habitat, wind development areas, and many more.
- MARCO - Portal Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal
- NROC - Portal Northeast Ocean Data Portal
National Academies of Sciences, Engineer, and Medicine Workshop on Atlantic offshore Renewable Energy Development and Fisheries Proceedings
Development of Mitigation Measures to Address Potential Use Conflicts between Commercial Wind Energy Lessees/Grantees and Commercial Fishermen on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf

For more information please contact Julia Livermore

Contact Marine Fisheries

3 Ft. Wetherill Rd.
Jamestown, RI 02835
Phone: 1-401-423-1923
Fax: 1-401-423-1925
DEM.MarineFisheries@dem.ri.gov

dem.ri.gov/marine

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