Guam Activities

What's New?

NOW AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING: Recordings of the inaugural BOEM Guam Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force meeting held on September 11, 2024 are now posted on the Guam task force page.

You're Invited: BOEM Guam Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force Meeting

BOEM's inaugural Guam Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force meeting will be held on Sept. 11, 2024, in-person in Guam with a virtual option. Additional meeting information, including agenda and registration will be available on the task force meeting webpage.    

BOEM is working closely with the government of Guam to determine a potential path forward for offshore wind energy planning.  

Guam Portrait

BOEM and the Government of Guam have initiated the first planning step in the BOEM renewable energy authorization process by establishing the BOEM Guam Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force at the request of the Honorable Lourdes “Lou” Aflague Leon Guerrero (BOEM Guam Task Force Charter). BOEM uses intergovernmental renewable energy task forces to help shape its approach to offshore wind on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). 

The purpose of this task force is to facilitate coordination among federal, territorial, and local governments on renewable energy activities on the OCS offshore Guam’s coast. Specifically, the BOEM Guam Task Force will serve to: 

  • Coordinate offshore wind energy development planning that aligns with Guam’s sustainability goals
  • Assist in identifying the most suitable areas for potential offshore wind leasing. 
  • Provide information about offshore wind leasing, permitting, and statutory requirements. 
  • Exchange information about biological, cultural and physical resources, ocean uses, and priorities.   

Through this task force, BOEM will actively seek to involve relevant and affected governmental entities in the various stages of planning. Although task forces are government only bodies, all task force meetings are open to the public, and each meeting is followed by public question-and-answer sessions led by BOEM. 

To the extent practicable, the BOEM Guam Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force will coordinate offshore wind planning in the efficient, effective, and coordinated manner following established procedures. Task force efforts will assist Guam in meeting their renewable energy goals while broadening the energy resource portfolio for the Nation, consistent with individual agency and government mandates, and statutory and jurisdictional authority. 

BOEM and the Government of Guam plan to convene a task force meeting later this year to discuss the status and expected coordination and collaboration with respect to renewable energy development offshore Guam.     

Learn how BOEM and NOAA use a multi-phase, public process to tackle the complicated task of identifying potential areas for offshore renewable energy development.

Public Engagement

BOEM is in the early stage of coordinating planning efforts with the Government of Guam for potential offshore renewable energy leasing and development activities. The BOEM Guam Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force will play an important role in guiding these efforts. 

In addition to the task force, BOEM will engage Chamorro communities, stakeholders, and the public with meaningful opportunities to participate in the multi-phased federal renewable energy authorization process. BOEM is committed to ongoing open and transparent communication with the Chamorro people (the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands) as well as ocean users, other local stakeholders, and the public. Throughout the planning process, trust, respect, and shared responsibility will be fundamental as part of a deliberative process for effective collaboration and informed decision-making. 

Environmental Studies

REn Authority
BOEM coordinates and consults with affected indigenous communities, territorial, and local governments and other Federal agencies Multiple opportunities for public input

BOEM has funded or considered numerous studies to collect information about the marine environment to support decisions concerning offshore renewable energy development. For more information, please visit https://www.boem.gov/environment/environmental-studies-pacific.

Guam-specific studies include:  

Related Press Releases

Guam Globe map

How Did We Get Here?

BOEM’s mission is to manage development of U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) energy, mineral, and geological resources in an environmentally and economically responsible way. Pursuant to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and implementing regulations, BOEM issues leases, easements, and rights-of-way for orderly, safe, and environmentally responsible renewable energy development activities, such as the siting and construction of wind and marine hydrokinetic technologies on the OCS.  

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 contains several provisions relevant to BOEM’s offshore energy program, including amending the definition of the OCS in the OCS Lands Act to include submerged lands within the exclusive economic zone adjacent to U.S. territories. The IRA also amended the OCS Lands Act by adding a definition of “State” to include each of the several 50 States of the Union, as well as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.  

On October 4, 2023, BOEM published the “Inflation Reduction Act Conformity Amendments to Regulations on the Outer Continental Shelf” final rule in the Federal Register, which implements the IRA by amending and adding the definitions of OCS and State in BOEM’s renewable energy regulations to be consistent with the IRA language.    

BOEM is facilitating the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, and 15 GW of floating offshore wind energy capacity by 2035.  

An all-of-government approach is being employed to offshore renewable energy by collaborating with Native and Indigenous communities, Tribal Nations, federal agencies, states, and territories across the Pacific Region to expand responsible offshore wind production. BOEM will use the most efficient, transparent, and inclusive processes to identify future renewable energy lease sale areas, and seek to avoid, reduce, and mitigate any potential conflicts or impacts in these efforts. BOEM is committed to advancing the development of offshore renewable energy projects in an economically and environmentally responsible way.

For background information on offshore wind and the BOEM leasing process, please view the following video and fact sheets: