The U.S. Bureau of Energy and Ocean Management (BOEM) will hold three public scoping meetings in the first week of January to inform stakeholders of its environmental review process for the proposed wind energy development in federal waters offshore South Carolina.
The first meeting is scheduled to take place on 5 January in Charleston, the second meeting will be held on 6 January in Murrells Inlet, and the third on 7 January in North Myrtle Beach.
Back in November, BOEM issued a Call for Information and Nominations to gauge the offshore wind industry’s interest in acquiring commercial wind leases in four areas offshore South Carolina, totaling more than 1,100 square miles on the Outer Continental Shelf, and to request comments regarding site conditions, resources and other uses in and near those areas.
In addition to the Call, BOEM published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the environmental assessment, seeking public comment for determining issues and alternatives to be analyzed in the assessment.
The assessment will consider potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts associated with issuing commercial wind leases and approving site assessment activities on the lease areas. The NOI includes a 60-day public comment period which closes on 25 January.