The Bureau of Ocean Energy (BOEM) announced yesterday that it has extended the original 30-day comment period for two potential wind energy areas (WEAs) in the Gulf of Mexico. 

The comment period, scheduled to end on Aug. 19, has been extended by 15 calendar days to Sept. 2. More information can be found on BOEM’s website.

The first potential WEA is located approximately 24 nautical miles (nm) off the coast of Galveston, Texas, covers a total of 546,645 acres, and has the potential to power 2.3 million homes with clean wind energy, BOEM said. The second potential WEA is located approximately 56 nm off the coast of Lake Charles, La., covers a total of 188,023 acres, and has the potential to power nearly 800,000 homes, according to BOEM.

BOEM is also extending the comment period by 15 calendar days to Sept. 2 on a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) covering the entire Call Area to consider the potential impacts from site characterization (e.g., marine mammal surveys) and site assessment (e.g., installation of meteorological buoys), activities expected to take place following lease issuance.

On July 20, the Department of the Interior announced that BOEM was seeking public input on the identification of two potential WEAs in the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

For more information on the potential WEAs and draft EA, including instructions for commenting, go to: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/gulf-mexico-activities.