83 FR 32896 - Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf in the New York Bight-Call for Information and Nominations

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 136 (July 16, 2018)

On April 11, 2018, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a Call for Information and Nominations for Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the New York Bight (Call). BOEM invited the submission of information and nominations for commercial wind leases that would allow a lessee to propose the construction of a wind energy project in the New York Bight, and to develop one or more projects, if approved, after further environmental review. Additionally, the announcement requested comments and information from interested and affected parties about site conditions, resources, and multiple uses in close proximity to, or within, the Call Areas. Information received will help inform BOEM's identification of Wind Energy Areas, which would be further evaluated for potential commercial wind leasing. The April 11 notice had a comment period deadline of May 29, 2018. Several stakeholders have contacted BOEM and requested additional time to submit comments. BOEM agrees that it would be helpful in this instance to reopen the comment period.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 136 (Monday, July 16, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32896-32897]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-15133]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2018-0004]


Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf 
in the New York Bight--Call for Information and Nominations

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: On April 11, 2018, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 
(BOEM) issued a Call for Information and Nominations for Commercial 
Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the New 
York Bight (Call). BOEM invited the submission of information and 
nominations for commercial wind leases that would allow a lessee to 
propose the construction of a wind energy project in the New York 
Bight, and to develop one or more projects, if approved, after further 
environmental review. Additionally, the announcement requested comments 
and information from interested and affected parties about site 
conditions, resources, and multiple uses in close proximity to, or 
within, the Call Areas. Information received will help inform BOEM's 
identification of Wind Energy Areas, which would be further evaluated 
for potential commercial wind leasing. The April 11 notice had a 
comment period deadline of May 29, 2018. Several stakeholders have 
contacted BOEM and requested additional time to submit comments. BOEM 
agrees that it would be helpful in this instance to reopen the comment 
period.

DATES: BOEM must receive nominations describing your interest in one or 
more, or any portion of, the Call Areas, by a postmarked date of July 
30, 2018, for your nomination to be considered. BOEM requests comments 
or submissions of information to be postmarked or delivered by this 
same date. BOEM will consider only those nominations received during 
the comment period.

ADDRESSES: If you are submitting a nomination for a lease area in 
response to this Call, please submit your nomination by following the 
instructions in the ``Required Nomination Information'' section of the 
Call (83 FR 15602, 15617) to the following address: BOEM, Office of 
Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland Road (VAM-OREP), Sterling, 
Virginia 20166. In addition to a paper

[[Page 32897]]

copy of the nomination, include an electronic copy of the nomination on 
a data storage device. BOEM will list the parties that submitted 
nominations and the location of the proposed lease areas (i.e., OCS 
blocks nominated) on the BOEM website after the comment period has 
closed.
    Comments and other submissions of information may be submitted by 
either of the following two methods:
    1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In the 
entry entitled, ``Enter Keyword or ID,'' enter BOEM-2018-0004, and then 
click ``search.'' Follow the instructions to submit public comments and 
view supporting and related materials available for this notice.
    2. U.S. Postal Service or other delivery service. Send your 
comments and information to the following address: Bureau of Ocean 
Energy Management, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland 
Road (VAM-OREP), Sterling, Virginia 20166.
    All responses will be reported on http://www.regulations.gov.
    If you wish to protect the confidentiality of your nominations or 
comments, clearly mark the relevant sections and request that BOEM 
treat them as confidential. Please label privileged or confidential 
information ``Contains Confidential Information,'' and consider 
submitting such information as a separate attachment. Treatment of 
confidential information is addressed in the section of this Call 
entitled, ``Protection of Privileged or Confidential Information.'' 
Information that is not labeled as privileged or confidential will be 
regarded by BOEM as suitable for public release.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Luke Feinberg, BOEM, Office of 
Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland Road (VAM-OREP), Sterling, 
Virginia 20166, (703) 787-1705 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Authority: This Call is published pursuant to subsection 8(p)(3) of 
the OCS Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3), which was added by section 388 
of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), as well as the implementing 
regulations at 30 CFR part 585.
    Background and Purpose: The OCS Lands Act requires BOEM to award 
leases competitively, unless BOEM makes a determination that there is 
no competitive interest (43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3)). BOEM will make this 
determination after reviewing the nominations received in response to 
this Call. This Call also requests information from interested and 
affected parties on issues relevant to potential leasing within the 
Call Areas.
    The responses to this Call could lead to the initiation of a 
competitive leasing process in some parts of the Call Areas (i.e., 
where competition exists), and a noncompetitive process in other parts 
of the Call Areas (i.e., where no competitive interest exists). The 
Call, described in detail in the Federal Register (83 FR 15602 (April 
11, 2018)), had an initial comment deadline of May 29, 2018, but 
several stakeholders have requested additional time to comment. BOEM 
agrees that it would be helpful in this instance to reopen the comment 
period until July 30, 2018.
    Protection of Privileged or Confidential Information: BOEM will 
protect privileged or confidential information that you submit as 
provided in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Exemption 4 of FOIA 
applies to trade secrets and commercial or financial information that 
you submit that is privileged or confidential. If you wish to protect 
the confidentiality of such information, clearly mark it and request 
that BOEM treat it as confidential. BOEM will not disclose such 
information if it qualifies for exemption from disclosure under FOIA. 
Please label privileged or confidential information ``Contains 
Confidential Information'' and consider submitting such information as 
a separate attachment.
    BOEM will not treat as confidential any aggregate summaries of such 
information or comments not containing such information. Additionally, 
BOEM will not treat as confidential (1) the legal title of the 
nominating entity (for example, the name of your company), or (2) the 
list of whole or partial blocks that you are nominating. Information 
that is not labeled as privileged or confidential will be regarded by 
BOEM as suitable for public release.

    Dated: July 11, 2018.
Walter D. Cruickshank,
Acting Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2018-15133 Filed 7-13-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P