Invenergy (OCS-A 0542)

Efforts Underway

On April 20, 2023 Invenergy Wind Offshore, LLC submitted a letter indicating they would not be conducting site assessment activities and will instead be using existing data. The letter is currently under BOEM review. The approval of the letter begins the site assessment term of the lease.

Background

On February 23, 2022, BOEM held a competitive lease sale offshore New York and New Jersey. Invenergy Wind Offshore, LLC was identified as the winner of Lease Area OCS-A 0542 (83,976 acres) located in federal waters approximately 69 miles offshore New York and 35 miles offshore New Jersey.  

For more information on this lease area, lease history, including the Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force meetings, and efforts underway for the New York Bight Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, please visit the New York Bight page. For up-to-date leasing information, including the original lease and any lease amendments that may have occurred since initial lease execution, visit the Lease and Grant Information page.

For more information on efforts to advance meaningful engagement with environmental justice communities surrounding the New York Bight, please visit Environmental Justice Forums for New York and New Jersey.

As required by the lease, Invenergy is required to develop publicly available communication plans. Additional information is provided below.

The Native American Tribes Communication Plan describes the strategies that the Lessee intends to use for communicating with federally recognized Tribes and outlines methods for engaging with and disseminating information to federally recognized Tribes with cultural and/or historical ties to the lease area.  

The Fisheries Communication Plan describes the strategies that the Lessee intends to use for communicating with commercial and recreational fisheries prior to and during activities in support of the submission of a plan, such as a Site Assessment Plan or Construction and Operations Plan.  The plan includes information on the distribution of “Notice to Mariners” and other outreach and coordination. Additionally, the plan includes Invenergy’s Fisheries Liaison as a primary point of contact and a process to file complaints with Invenergy and seek replacement of or compensation for lost gear. 

The Agency Communication Plan describes the strategies that the Lessee intends to use for communicating with federal, state, and local agencies with authority related to the lease area. The plan outlines specific methods for engaging with and disseminating information related to permits and trust resources to these agencies.

These communications plans may be updated and refined over time and the latest plans be found on Invenergy’s webpage.

As required by the lease, Invenergy is required to submit progress reports to BOEM every six months until approval of a Construction and Operations Plan. The intent of the progress report is to improve Lessee communication and transparency with Tribes and other parties, including:

• Coastal communities
• Commercial and recreational fishing industries
• Educational and research institutions
• Environmental and public interest non-governmental organizations
• Federal, state, and local agencies
• Federally recognized Tribes
• General public
• Mariners and the maritime industry
• Ocean users
• Submarine cable operators
• Underserved communities, as defined in Section 2 of Executive Order 13985

Additionally, the intent of the progress report is to encourage lessees to identify and engage with underserved communities, including environmental justice communities that may be disproportionately impacted by the Project’s offshore activities, to avoid, minimize, and mitigate potential adverse effects.

The progress reports are available below. If you have any questions, please contact [Lessee] and the BOEM project coordinator identified below.

Lessee point of contact: Carmen Bernett 

BOEM project coordinator: Annette Ehrhorn 

Progress Report 1: May 1, 2022 – October 31, 2022 
Progress Report 2: November 1, 2022 – April 30, 2023 
Progress Report 3: May 1, 2022– October 31, 2023 
Progress Report 4: November 1, 2023 – April 30, 2024

On April 20, 2023 Invenergy submitted a letter indicating they would not be conducting site assessment activities and will instead be using existing data. The approval of the letter begins the site assessment term of the lease.

• Site Assessment Approval Letter OCS-A 0542

Invenergy has not submitted a Construction and Operations Plan (COP) for BOEM review.  Once a COP is submitted, BOEM will post it here.

BOEM is currently preparing a programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) that will analyze potential impacts from anticipated offshore wind energy development in the six New York Bight lease areas executed May 2022. This PEIS adds another level of environmental review to the leasing and development process; additional project-specific reviews are still required prior to a project being approved, disapproved, or approved with modifications. Please visit the New York Bight Environmental Assessment page for further information.

Invenergy has not submitted a Construction and Operations Plan (COP) for BOEM review.  Lease-specific environmental review based on the COP will be updated here.