Letter to the Hon. Amanda Lefton, Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management - Representatives Rice, Pascrell Lead New York and New Jersey Delegations Letter Calling for Federal Action on Offshore Wind Development

Letter

Director Lefton:
As Members of the New York and New Jersey congressional delegations, we are writing to
congratulate you on your new position and to offer our support for the Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management's (BOEM) efforts to oversee the smart and efficient federal offshore wind leasing
necessary to meet President Biden's clean energy goals. New York and New Jersey also have
ambitious offshore wind goals, so we urge you to jumpstart the offshore wind leasing process
with transparency and expediency, starting with the issuance of final Wind Energy Areas
(WEAs) and subsequent lease auctions in the New York Bight in 2021.
According to an August 2020 report by the international energy consultant Wood Mackenzie,
New York and New Jersey would see more high-paying jobs, new sources of tax revenue, and
massive capital investments as a result of new leasing and subsequent offshore wind
development and construction in the New York Bight. From 2025 to 2030, construction activities
within the New York Bight could support 32,200 annual jobs, $3.3 billion in annual wages, and
$183 million in annual state tax revenue. From 2022 to 2030, the New York Bight could attract
$45.9 billion in total development and construction capital investment. This is just a slice of the
total benefit from offshore wind development across the United States. Across the country,
anticipated offshore wind development on the east and west coasts through 2035 is projected to
create $2 billion in U.S. Treasury revenue and support 80,000 jobs per year from 2025 to 2035.
Before we can realize all the benefits of offshore wind, the federal government must provide new
opportunities for developers to acquire commercial wind leases. We are concerned that BOEM
has not held a lease sale in federal waters since 2018 and the last New York Bight lease sale
occurred in December 2016. In its Fiscal Year 2019 budget request, BOEM updated its regional
approach to wind, indicating new wind energy areas in the New York Bight would be designated
and a lease auction would be held in late 2019. Neither has happened and BOEM has offered no
further guidance since then. This inaction jeopardizes the ability of our states to meet their
legally mandated clean energy goals and hampers efforts from domestic businesses to compete
with foreign companies that currently serve as the primary source for offshore wind supplies,
logistics, and services in the United States.
In an effort to reset and move forward with offshore wind leasing under your leadership at
BOEM, we would like to request a briefing with you and your team before February 26, 2021 to
better understand how BOEM plans to move forward on WEA identifications and a New York
Bight lease auction by 2022, as set forth in its Fiscal Year 2021 budget request. We would also
like to use this opportunity to discuss Acting Director Cruickshank's January 14, 2021 letter
addressed to several New York State Members of Congress which stated that BOEM is working
with other federal agencies as well as the fishing industry to inform a final WEA decision.
As the country continues to recover from the pandemic and we get back on track to address the
growing climate crisis, we look forward to working with you and BOEM to leverage the power
of offshore wind development to support greater health and opportunity across our communities.
We believe this starts with swift issuance of final WEAs for the New York Bight, followed by
immediate advancement to a competitive leasing auction. We ask that you give our request your
full and fair consideration, consistent with applicable statutes and regulations.