Offshore wind has the potential to generate enormous amounts of energy, with an estimated potential of 2,000 GW, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Many coastal states are looking to capitalize on this vast resource and have committed to purchasing offshore wind developed in federal waters. As of 2019, there is 28,521 MW of offshore wind capacity in the pipeline for development in 13 states, including Massachusetts, New Jersey, and California. Of this capacity, 12 MW is under construction, 6,439 MW is in the permitting stage, 17,440 MW is under site control, and 4,600 MW is in planning. The only offshore wind facilities operating in the U.S. are the 30MW Block Island facility in Rhode Island and the 12-MW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pilot project.
Projects have faced significant opposition from environmental groups and regulatory delays, though. For example, Cape Wind, a 450 MW offshore wind farm, was slated to be the largest wind project in the U.S. but was canceled in 2017 after years of litigation and regulatory delays. Although projects must get approval from state authorities and local authorities, which have jurisdiction over the sale of power from the project and where it lands, the biggest hurdle for developing and constructing an offshore wind facility is the federal regulatory process at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)1. While the federal process also involves several agencies aside from BOEM, BOEM's decision has the greatest impact as it decides whether the project can be constructed. BOEM's process is quite lengthy, though, and the process involves a wide array of stakeholders.