Guice Offshore, whose Jones Act-compliant offshore supply vessel fleet works extensively in advancing offshore wind energy industry infrastructure, noted that on January 12, 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Aeronautics Administration (NOAA) signed an interagency memorandum in support of the federal government’s ambitious goals to advance offshore wind energy responsibly while protecting biodiversity and promoting cooperative ocean use.
Offshore wind energy development plays an important role in how the U.S. is leading the charge to combat the climate crisis and build a clean energy economy and climate-ready nation.
The Administration set a goal of significantly increasing the nation’s offshore wind energy capacity. This new agreement underscores BOEM’s and NOAA’s commitment to responsibly deploy 30 gigawatts of wind energy production capacity in Federal waters by 2030. The memorandum will help leverage the responsibilities, expertise, and relationships of both BOEM and NOAA in support of the goal by outlining areas of cooperation and creating a framework to develop future, more detailed agreements related to specific program areas.
“We are already seeing the impacts of climate change on communities across the country and the ocean resources that we manage. Now is the time to act. Working together, we will further advance offshore wind, which can play a critical role in meeting our country’s energy needs while combating climate change and creating new family supporting jobs,” said BOEM Director Amanda Lefton. “This agreement and the collaboration between BOEM and NOAA show that fighting climate change and responsible resource management go hand-in-hand.”
“This agreement is powerful and timely as we face climate change head on. It will help ensure coordination, collaboration, and alignment by NOAA and BOEM at key decision points in support of the Administration’s offshore wind energy goal,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “It will also provide specific pathways for NOAA data and services while protecting our ecosystems and marine resources.”
The research, planning, and regulatory mechanisms in the offshore wind and clean energy industry will provide for new, good paying jobs while also advancing the scientific understanding of the potential impacts of offshore wind development. Surveying, spatial modeling, mapping, oceanographic assessments, and characterization of ocean regions and jurisdictional boundaries are all critical elements to the successful development of this growing industry.
Read the full memorandum and learn more about BOEM and NOAA Fisheries’ Federal Survey Mitigation Program, launched in 2021 in support of the United States’ wind energy goals.
The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is responsible for America’s offshore energy and mineral resources. The BOEM promotes energy independence, environmental protection and economic development through responsible, science-based management of energy and mineral resources on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.
About Guice Offshore’s Jones Act-Compliant Offshore Support Vessel Fleet
Guice Offshore, an offshore supply vessel and offshore maritime transportation company with a modern fleet of dynamically positioned offshore supply vessels and mini-supply vessels, is experienced in offshore wind infrastructure development, with our offshore vessels having performed a variety of functions across the various stages of wind energy projects, such as surveying, transportation of blades and turbines, installation, inspection, maintenance and crew transfer, among other jobs.
