Finding space: Siting the Gulf of Maine's Wind Energy Area
A sneak peak behind the science of identifying areas for offshore wind energy.
Gulf of Maine: Offshore Wind
In the United States, wind energy development is happening offshore of many coastlines. By investing in research and development projects on land and offshore, the United States strives to improve technology, create jobs, and grow the New Blue Economy . The Biden Administration seeks to achieve 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030 , and 15 GW of floating offshore wind energy capacity by 2035, which will reduce our need for fossil fuels and combat climate change.
Map showing current underway offshore wind projects (last updated April 2024). Credit: BOEM
The Gulf of Maine has great potential for wind energy development. In the process of siting wind energy development areas, a variety of interested parties — federal, Tribal, state, and local government entities; industry; conservation organizations; and the general public — provide feedback on concerns related to offshore wind energy site placement. Integrating all of those voices into the planning process is important to ensure that wind energy development happens in the most suitable locations, but determining those suitable locations in a large, busy ocean can be overwhelming.
NCCOS and BOEM
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is the lead agency responsible for management of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf’s energy resources. BOEM collaborates closely with the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), a research-focused arm of NOAA's National Ocean Service. NCCOS brings specialized ocean data and spatial modeling science expertise to the table, ensuring the decision-making process is grounded in the best available data. This interagency agreement represents a powerful partnership, combining the strengths of both agencies to guide the wind energy site selection process toward responsible and sustainable outcomes.
Wind Energy Siting Timeline
Once BOEM identifies a Planning or Call Area, NCCOS gathers comprehensive data on natural and cultural resources, protected species, national security, industry, economics, wind, commercial and recreational fisheries, and other relevant factors. These data come from a variety of sources, including within NOAA, regional data portals, Traditional Ecological Knowledge provided by Tribes, states, ocean users, and other interested parties. These data are used to create a spatial planning model - essentially a digital representation of the ocean’s characteristics including both human uses and natural resources. This map is helpful because it indicates areas of the ocean with relatively high and low levels of activity. By visualizing the busy ocean space in this way, BOEM can make informed decisions on where to strategically place wind energy areas, minimizing potential conflicts with other ocean uses. For the Gulf of Maine, two rounds of models were used - to refine the Call Area to the Draft Wind Energy Area (WEA), and then to refine the Draft WEA to the Final WEA.
Schematic showing where NCCOS supports BOEM's WEA siting process through spatial suitability modeling. Timeline image credit: BOEM.
Analyzing Suitability
At NCCOS, we use marine spatial science to support BOEM in deciding suitable places for offshore wind energy development. We gather data from academia, government, industry, and local ecological knowledge sources to understand the ocean better.
The marine spatial planning process for siting wind energy is simple in theory:
- Gather as much relevant data as possible
- Add those data to a map
- Give the data a score from 0 to 1 (with 0 being "this is a place where we can't consider developing wind energy" and 1 being "there are no obvious conflicts with other users in this location”)
- Determine the areas that "score" closest to 1 across all factors.
Schematic of the marine spatial science process.
In practice, a comprehensive study has many more steps!
One important note about this marine spatial planning process: it specifically includes input from various groups like Tribes, fishers, conservationists, government agencies, and industries, to minimize disruption to important ocean activities and impacts to sensitive species and habitats. Our goal is to find suitable areas for offshore wind projects that don't disturb other ocean uses.
With that said, there’s a caveat here. The ocean is a busy place, between human uses of the ocean and the natural system of the ocean ecosystem. As such, there is no acre that is not conflicted. There will always be something happening in every mile of the ocean, whether that is a fishing ground, a vessel transit area, a feeding ground for birds, a location of an unexploded munition, a shipwreck site, or a myriad of other uses. The purpose of BOEM and NCCOS’ suitability modeling process is to deconflict as much as we can, using the best science to show us what’s happening in each parcel of the ocean.
From Call Area to Draft WEA to Final WEA
The goal of the spatial suitability modeling process is to help BOEM narrow down a wide area, known as the Call Area, into a smaller Final Wind Energy Area that minimizes conflicts with other ocean uses.
The original Call Area for the Gulf of Maine, published in April 2023, was 9.8 million acres.
In response to the first round of suitability modeling and community input, BOEM reduced the Call Area by 63% to the Draft Wind Energy Area (3.5 million acres), published in October 2023.
Following the second round of suitability modeling and community input, BOEM reduced the Draft Wind Energy Area by 42% to the Final Wind Energy Area (2 million acres), published in March 2024.
All told, the Final Wind Energy Area represents only 21% of the original Call Area!
Suitability Results
The results of the suitability analysis (from low to high relative suitability) are shown in the following maps. The colors show the range of suitability on a scale from red to blue. Suitability is relative within the study area:
- Red - the area is not suitable at all for wind energy development
- Orange - the area is low in suitability
- Yellow - the area is moderately low in suitability
- Light Green - the area is moderately suitable
- Light Blue - the area is moderately high in suitability
- Blue - the area is highly suitable for wind energy development
For additional details on each submodel's inputs and results, see the full report here .
Experience
Community Involvement
Throughout the planning effort to date, BOEM has engaged a wide variety of interested parties by convening or participating in over 70 external meetings (including approximately 40 of those in-person) focused on the Gulf of Maine (includes Task Force Meetings, public meetings, and targeted engagement meetings with specific community groups). NCCOS attended many of these meetings, allowing both agencies to benefit from the perspectives of interested parties, who voiced their priorities and concerns, raised questions, and offered valuable insights that significantly influenced the suitability model and decision-making process at every stage.
When this project began, BOEM identified an original area (the Request for Interest Area ) of approximately 14 million acres. As a result of public feedback and research and study, the Final WEA represents an ~85% reduction from that original area.
Request for Information to Final Call Area
In the early stages of wind energy planning, Federal and state agencies, as well as participants from the fishing industry and environmental non-governmental organizations, expressed apprehensions regarding potential impacts on fishing livelihoods, marine habitats, and coastal communities. They emphasized the importance of ensuring access to critical fishing grounds, addressing habitat preservation, and learning from research arrays before advancing commercial leasing.
At left: Map of the Draft Call Area, with areas recommended for removal called out in black (January 2023).
Final Call Area to Draft WEA
In assessing the suitability of the Call Area, several ocean user and natural resource issues emerged as potential conflicts with floating offshore wind development. Below, we highlight one of those potential conflicts, fisheries.
Fishermen voiced serious concerns about the potential impact of offshore wind development on their industry. Issues such as the shifting populations of lobsters and the economic significance of fishing grounds were raised, highlighting the need for careful consideration of fisheries' interests. Lobstermen, particularly from Maine, raised several concerns regarding the data quality from the lobster industry to inform the modeling process. There were calls to remove Lobster Management Area 1 (LMA1) from consideration, citing the density of fishing activity and the broader economic implications for coastal communities. The Passamaquoddy Tribes of Indians (Pleasant Point) also expressed concern about wind leasing within LMA1, sharing that the area was representative of their historic and current fishing practices.
In response to these concerns, Lobster Management Area 1 (LMA1) and other important fishing areas were added to a “Fisheries Considerations” data layer, given a low suitability score within the model, and ultimately avoided by the Final WEA and proposed lease areas.
At left: Map of the areas that various fishing industry members requested be removed from the Final Call Area.
Quote from Virginia Olsen, Maine Lobstering Union IAM 207: “BOEM did good in their attempt to come up and meet with small groups and really listen to what the fishermen had to say about those areas, and I think that’s a direct result of [these areas] coming off [the table].”
Draft to Final WEA
The Draft WEA exceeded the area needed to meet estimated regional goals for offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine (13-18 gigawatts). Therefore, BOEM decided to work with NCCOS to conduct another round of suitability modeling to narrow the area and further reduce conflicts. Below, we share two examples of how suitability modeling further reduced ocean resource and user conflicts.
Offshore Fishing Considerations
Understanding where vessels go is a key part in suitability modeling. The NCCOS process used Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) data to understand where certain fishing vessels are traveling and fishing in the region. The Draft WEA avoided LMA1; however, fishermen were still concerned about important offshore fishing grounds. When interested parties in the groundfish, herring, monkfish, scallop, and quahog fisheries raised concerns that the Draft WEA included areas where they fished, NCCOS turned to the data to help BOEM understand where those areas were.
The map at left shows the VMS data for the Gulf of Maine, filtered to only show the data where boats were traveling less than 4 knots. That speed component is important - it tells us where these vessels are actively fishing, rather than transiting to or from port.
At left: Map of the Vessel Management System activity for the Gulf of Maine. Warmer colors indicate a high level of fishing activity in the area, cooler colors indicate a lower level of fishing activity in that area.
Clearly, there were areas of heavy fishing activity with the Call Area and Draft Wind Energy Area that were removed from the final Wind Energy Area to accommodate those concerns.
Fishing considerations are also reflected in the map showing regional fishery revenue data. Most fishing activity is concentrated in the western and southern parts of the Call Area, particularly in the Wilkinson Basin and Georges Bank. High fishing activity is also found in the northern Call Area and Lobster Management Area 1. Areas in orange and red represent the highest dollar values; the Final WEA avoids almost all those areas in favor of areas less impactful towards fishing revenue.
At left: Map of average fishing revenue in the Gulf of Maine, with green indicating lower revenue and red indicating higher revenue.
Marine Bird Considerations
Interested parties expressed significant concerns regarding the potential impact of offshore wind development on marine bird populations throughout the engagement process. Participants highlighted the importance of protecting marine bird habitats, particularly around islands and areas like Georges Bank, which are vital for foraging and nesting. There were specific requests for a 24-mile buffer around Maine islands to safeguard seabird colonies and ensure adequate foraging areas. Additionally, interested parties emphasized the necessity of incorporating more seabird data into spatial modeling to accurately assess potential risks and mitigate adverse effects on these vulnerable populations.
Taking a look at the regional bird density data layer that was used in the spatial model, it’s clear that the final WEA avoids most of the high density areas for vulnerable seabirds and diving birds.
At left: Map of the bird considerations for the Gulf of Maine. Purple indicates that the seabird risk and vulnerability is high in that area. Green indicates that the area is highly used by diving birds. The blue crosshatches represent a 24 nautical mile buffer zone to protect coastal shorebirds.
North Atlantic Right Whale Considerations
One of the most significant concerns of interested parties in the Gulf of Maine is the North Atlantic right whale . The latest estimate suggests there are approximately 360 individuals remaining, including fewer than 70 reproductively active females. North Atlantic right whales are considered “depleted” under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and are listed as “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act. The Gulf of Maine has been designated as critical habitat for right whales, and they use these waters for feeding, breeding, and general travel. NOAA and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released a final joint strategy in 2024 to protect and promote the recovery of endangered North Atlantic right whales while responsibly developing offshore wind energy such as in the Gulf of Maine.
BOEM made adjustments to the Draft WEA based on feedback received to enhance the final data and model structure for assessing spatial suitability in the Final WEA. A density layer for North Atlantic right whales was included in the Final WEA modeling, derived from monthly distribution observations created by Duke University's Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab . The model evaluated relative suitability, with a focus on areas where North Atlantic right whale density exceeded a specific threshold. The model showed highest whale densities in the southwestern and northeastern edges, and lowest densities along the eastern edge.
At left: Map of North Atlantic right whale density for the Gulf of Maine. Warmer colors indicate a high level of whale presence in the area, cooler colors indicate a lower level of whale presence in that area. As the map shows, the reduction of the Call Area to the Final Wind Energy Area avoids those areas of highest modeled density for the North Atlantic right whales.
Furthermore, the areas that were recommended for removal to further protect North Atlantic right whales were almost all removed from Draft WEA to Final WEA.
Final WEA Selection
Through a rigorous suitability model, BOEM identified grid cells with the top 60% suitability scores, aligning those with lease block aliquots. Then, BOEM eliminated areas under 40,000 acres, as they were likely too small to support a commercial floating wind operation.
The resulting Final WEA, covering over 2 million acres, reflects an 85% reduction from the initial Call Area, demonstrating a balanced approach that accommodates renewable energy goals while addressing environmental concerns and potential conflicts. The size of the Final WEA allows BOEM to consider additional deconfliction, while also supporting the region’s renewable energy goals and the potential for multiple lease sales.
Leasing Process and Future Considerations
On May 1, 2024, BOEM published a Proposed Sale Notice (PSN) which identified 8 proposed lease areas within the Final WEA. This initiated a 60-day public comment period, during which BOEM held a number of public meetings , including a Task Force meeting, 4 in-person open-house style meetings, 5 virtual meetings, and additional Tribal meetings.
Using information gained through PSN comments and public meetings, BOEM revised the PSN in a Final Sale Notice (FSN), which BOEM announced on September 16, 2024 . The lease areas in the PSN were reduced by approximately 12 percent to address potential ocean user conflicts. Specifically, BOEM decided to remove from current leasing consideration several areas that overlap with a combination of offshore fishing activity, vessel transit, seafloor features identified by NMFS as potentially sensitive to impacts from offshore wind facility construction, and areas of relatively higher densities of North Atlantic right whale sightings and detections.
The FSN also announced the date of the first commercial wind energy lease sale for the Gulf of Maine: October 29, 2024.
Following the auction, BOEM and NCCOS will be considering ways to potentially incorporate spatial suitability modeling into the discussion around transmission cable routing in the Gulf of Maine.
Map of the final lease blocks for the Gulf of Maine within the Final Wind Energy Area (September 2024).
Conclusions
The Gulf of Maine is a promising area for offshore wind energy. Working with interested parties has helped us find the most suitable areas for wind energy development while considering other ocean activities. By integrating a wide range of data sources and considering the perspectives of different interest groups, NCCOS and BOEM have successfully identified areas with high wind potential that minimize impacts to other ocean resources and uses.
Floating wind turbines (c) Shutterstock
This comprehensive approach to offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine not only promises to diversify our energy mix but also offers significant economic opportunities, job creation, energy independence, and a reduction in our nation’s reliance on fossil fuels. These wind energy areas in the Gulf of Maine will contribute to the Biden Administration’s vision of achieving 30 GW of offshore wind power by 2030 and 15 GW of floating offshore wind by 2035. By embracing the potential of offshore wind and continuing to prioritize responsible planning, we strive to create a thriving ecosystem where renewable energy coexists harmoniously with other ocean uses. The journey to a greener future begins here!
