The Pacific Ocean seen from the coast of Oregon in Heceta Head Lighthouse State Park

BOEM’s pursuit of offshore wind development in Oregon has been questioned by Oregon lawmakers and Gov. Tina Kotek, D, who sent a letter last June to BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein asking for a pause in the process so that a more in-depth consultation of ocean users could take place.

Though BOEM sought stakeholder feedback throughout the process and worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science to identify environmental and ocean co-use impacts, the Midwater Trawlers Cooperative and the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians, or Tribe, expressed unhappiness with the final WEA designations.

The Tribe said it is “extremely disappointed” with BOEM’s decision and said the agency “waited until the eleventh hour” to notify it of the finalization. Heather Mann, Director of the Midwater Trawlers Cooperative, said the designations were a “slap in the face” to the group, which wanted to see more significant alterations to the WEAs from the initially proposed draft versions.

Clean energy groups like the American Clean Power Association, or ACP, praised the designation — calling it a first step for the state to meet its “ambitious” goal of bringing 3 GW of offshore wind power online by 2030.

“Designating commercially suitable, environmentally sound areas of the Pacific Ocean for offshore wind energy moves the region one step closer to a clean energy future. We applaud BOEM for listening carefully to Oregonians while ensuring that Oregon offshore wind can be responsibly developed,” said the ACP’s Vice President for Offshore Wind Anne Reynolds.

BOEM published a notice of intent to prepare an environmental assessment for the areas in the Federal Register on Wednesday, opening a comment period that will close March 15.