The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is issuing a call for information and nominations for potential wind energy leasing off the coastline of the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.
This call will gather public input to inform potential leasing regions, and results from close collaboration with the government of Guam, which aims to produce 50 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2035 and 100 percent by 2045.
The announcement will be released on Jan. 6, starting a 90-day comment period that will conclude on April 7, during which the public can provide relevant information on site conditions, marine resources, and ocean uses near or within the identified area. Simultaneously, wind energy companies can propose specific regions they wish to see offered for leasing.
Throughout the comment period, BOEM will engage with indigenous communities, stakeholder organizations, ocean users, federal agencies, the government of Guam, and other entities to identify conflicts early in the process as BOEM strives to pinpoint areas where offshore wind development would have the least impact. This information will be utilized to significantly narrow the region to be considered for future offshore wind leasing.
The call requests information on one continuous area surrounding the island covering approximately 2.1 million acres. The area begins roughly three nautical miles from the shore at its nearest points, in water depths ranging from about 350 to 2,200 meters.
For additional details regarding the Guam call, including a map of the area and guidelines for commenting, see BOEM’s Guam webpage.
