Bureau of Ocean Energy Management August 18, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The purpose of this public notice is to: (1) Describe the unsolicited proposal submitted to BOEM by Trident Winds, LLC (Trident Winds) to acquire an OCS commercial wind lease; (2) solicit submissions of indications of interest in acquiring a commercial lease for wind energy development on the OCS offshore California in the area described in this notice; and (3) solicit public input regarding the area described in this notice, the potential environmental consequences associated with wind energy development in the area, and existing and planned multiple uses of the area. On January 14, 2016, BOEM received an unsolicited request from Trident Winds for a commercial wind lease on the OCS. Trident Winds' proposed project would consist of a utility-scale floating wind energy facility offshore Morro Bay, California that would interconnect with the California electrical grid at the existing Morro Bay Power Plant. The project would be located, at its closest point, approximately 15 nautical miles (nmi) offshore Point Piedras Blancas in water depths of approximately 2,900 feet. Additional information on Trident Winds' unsolicited lease request can be viewed at https://www.boem.gov/ California/. This RFI is published pursuant to subsection 8(p)(3) of the OCS Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3), and BOEM's implementing regulations at 30 CFR part 585. Subsection 8(p)(3) of the OCS Lands Act requires that OCS renewable energy leases, easements, and rights-of-way be issued ``on a competitive basis unless the Secretary [of the Interior] determines after public notice of a proposed lease, easement, or right- of-way that there is no competitive interest.'' This RFI provides public notice for the area requested by Trident Winds (the Proposed Lease Area) that is described below in the section ``Description of the Proposed Lease Area,'' and invites the submission of indications of interest in acquiring a commercial wind lease within the Proposed Lease Area. Parties wishing to indicate competitive interest in the Proposed Lease Area should submit detailed and specific information as described in the section entitled ``Required Indication of Interest Information.'' BOEM will consider the responses to this public notice to determine whether competitive interest exists in the Proposed Lease Area. This announcement also requests that interested and affected parties comment and provide information about site conditions and any existing or planned multiple uses within the Proposed Lease Area that may be relevant to the proposed project or its potential impacts.