Military raises concerns about potential locations for mid-Atlantic offshore wind 

The military is raising some concerns about potential for offshore wind in the country’s mid-Atlantic region, saying that it could interfere with Defense Department interests there. 

According to a preliminary map that was obtained by The Hill, the Pentagon marked several areas to the east and southeast of the Chesapeake Bay as “areas that are highly problematic.”

The map was first reported by Bloomberg News.

The military’s warnings are causing some concern for the industry, as one source who had been aware of the map said that it excluded a significant amount of acreage.

However, a senior Defense Department official described the map as part of a process where the military identifies areas where wind development could pose a challenge to its activities 

“If we have vessel or flight traffic…we would have to work with [the Bureau of Ocean BOEM and the developer to find a place in there that is the least impactful,” the official said, adding that in California a compromise area was able to be identified amid Pentagon concerns. 

Lissa Eng, a spokesperson for BOEM, said that the department was reviewing the Pentagon assessment and will “take it into consideration when identifying final Wind Energy Areas” where offshore wind can be developed. 

“BOEM has a long working relationship with DoD, and together we have successfully deconflicted and identified areas that have resulted in 27 leases, covering over 2.1 million acres on the [Outer Continental Shelf].

Meanwhile, JC Sandberg, chief advocacy officer at the American Clean Power Association, said in a written statement that the offshore wind industry is “fully committed to national security, coexistence with other ocean users, and good stewardship of the environment.”

“We need a coordinated, all-of-government approach to offshore wind to ensure that the industry can grow while protecting national security interests at the same time,” Sandberg said.

The Biden administration has attempted to bolster offshore wind, setting the goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy coming online by 2030, which the administration has described as enough to power 10 million homes.