Q2 2021 Financial Highlights and Offshore Wind Build-Out Plan
Overview of US offshore wind federal permitting process
Planning & Analysis
2 years
BOEM conducts a
process of area
identification,
environmental
reviews, etc.
Leasing
1-2 years
BOEM conducts
auctions and
issues leases
Federal permitting overview²
Site Assessment
Up to 5 years
BOEM grants developer
up to five years (not all
time must be taken) to
complete requirements
Requirements include
conducting site
characterization surveys
and submitting a Site
Assessment Plan (SAP)
BOEM must approve the
SAP
BOEM oversees a four-step process: Planning & Analysis,
Leasing, Site Assessment, and Construction & Operations.
It can take up to roughly a decade in total
We highlight key milestones within each step
This is a new process for BOEM, who have yet to permit
any Projects under this federal process
Submit COP for NOI
6 months
Developer submits
a Construction and
Operations Plan
(COP) before the
five-year site
assessment period
expires
BOEM issues a
Notice of Intent
(NOI) once it
deems the
developer's COP
submission as
Complete and
Sufficient
BOEM may issue
an Initiation of
Action Notice (IAN)
-2-3 months
before issuing its
NOI. This can
provide an
indication on
timing
Construction & Operations
- 2 years
Construction and Operations Plan (COP)
~ 2 years
BOEM's issuance of the NOI starts the ~2-year clock for BOEM to approve the COP,
disapprove it, or approve it with modifications. If the COP is approved, then the
developer has its final federal permitting needed to start construction
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
< 2 years
BOEM prepares a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and a
Final EIS. BOEM explores alternatives to the proposed COP
A Record of Decision (ROD) is issued at the end of this process. This
is not the final approval but is a framework for any further required
reviews, site-specific actions, or broad regional mandates
Final Permit Approvals
< 2 years
BOEM coordinates inter-agency approval. Approval timing varies
per agency, but the last approval deadline is 90 days after the ROD.
This generally coincides with the COP approval
Approvals come from: NOAA,3 The US Army Corps of Engineers, the
Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency
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1: BOEM stands for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
2: State-level permitting processes vary across states and typically run concurrent with the federal process
3: NOAA stands for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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