ACCESS NUMBER: BOEM 2016-034

STUDY TITLE: Wind Energy Development on the Atlantic OCS: The Identification of Port 

Modifications and their Environmental and Socioeconomic Consequences.

REPORT TITLE: The Identification of Port Modifications and the Environmental and Socioeconomic 

Consequences.

CONTRACT NUMBER: GS-10F-0080W

SPONSORING OCS REGION: Atlantic Region

APPLICABLE PLANNING AREA(S): Atlantic Region

FISCAL YEAR(S) OF PROJECT FUNDING: 2015-2016

COMPLETION DATE OF REPORT: April 14, 2016

COSTS: FY 2015: $209,674; FY 2016: $130,348

PROJECT MANAGER(S): Payson R. Whitney, III-Project Manager; Stephanie J.K. Wilson-Deputy 

Project Manager

AFFILIATION: ESS Group, Inc.

ADDRESS: 10 Hemingway Drive, 2nd Floor, East Providence, Rhode Island 02915

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S)*

: S. Chaston (ESS Group, Inc.), C. Elkinton (DNV GL), A. Uriate

(ICF International), P. Whitney, III (ESS Group, Inc.), S. Wilson (ESS Group, Inc.).

KEY WORDS: Offshore wind; wind energy; ports; Atlantic OCS; staging; expansion; modification;

environmental and socioeconomic impacts; mitigation 

BACKGROUND: Under the Energy Policy Act, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is 

charged with conducting Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lease sales as well as monitoring and mitigating 

impacts that might be associated with commercial wind energy development. BOEM has opened the door 

to commercial wind energy development on the OCS by conducting various leasing activities in both the 

North and Mid Atlantic. Port facilities are necessary to facilitate construction, operation, and 

decommissioning of an offshore wind project; however, not all Atlantic Coast ports are currently 

equipped to support the needs of offshore commercial wind development. The expansion and operation of 

port facilities to support offshore wind can produce a variety of environmental and socioeconomic 

impacts that may require mitigation. This Study provides BOEM with an understanding of the existing 

status of Atlantic coast port facilities and the activities required for their expansion or modification to 

support proposed Atlantic OCS offshore wind energy development projects.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To assess current port capacity and identify necessary port modifications to support

offshore wind activities; (2) To identify potential environmental and socioeconomic consequences from 

modifications to ports to support the staging and installation of offshore wind energy projects; and (3) To 

evaluate the effectiveness of potential mitigation measures for environmental and socioeconomic impacts 

of port modifications.

DESCRIPTION: This Study investigated the existing characteristics of Atlantic coast port facilities and 

the activities required for their expansion or modification to support installation of offshore wind energy 
ACCESS NUMBER: BOEM 2016-034

development projects. The information gathered through existing experiences, a review of the available 

literature, and input from industry experts, served as the basis for this Study to provide BOEM with an 

understanding of the existing status of Atlantic coast port facilities and activities required for expansion 

and modification of port facilities to support proposed Atlantic OCS offshore wind energy development 

projects.

The primary activities considered for this Study are associated with identifying the types of modification

to ports needed to support the staging and installation of offshore wind projects. This Study built upon the 

U.S. Department of Energy’s Assessment of Ports for Offshore Wind Development in the United States 

(DNV GL 2014) and the Port Assessment Tool (DNV GL 2015). The Study developed a set of criteria 

defining the port requirements necessary to support offshore wind development; identified and classified 

East Coast ports that could potentially service the offshore wind energy industry; identified potential 

modifications needed to support the industry at these ports; and summarized potential impact producing 

factors, potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts, and potential mitigation measures associated 

with the port modification activities. This Study provides BOEM with documentation to support future 

NEPA reviews of offshore wind energy projects and to aid in the project specific assessment of potential 

environmental and socioeconomically impacts associated with the expansion and use of port facilities to 

support proposed Atlantic OCS offshore wind energy development projects.

SIGNIFICANT CONCLUSIONS: While the study found that some ports along the East Coast already 

possess many of the necessary capabilities and infrastructure needed to support offshore wind projects, 

the offshore wind industry is still evolving and there are unforeseen issues, technological advancements, 

and changing regulatory environments that could affect the decision about which port to use or change the 

types of port modifications necessary to support the offshore wind project. Therefore, flexibility and 

scalability are important.

Although the study identified typical “minimum requirements” for physical dimensions and capabilities 

of ports, these “requirements” should primarily serve as initial recommendations when determining a 

port’s suitability to handle the staging of an offshore wind project. Based on discussions with experts, 

there are various possible solutions and adaptations a port can make to support offshore wind activities. 

Environmental and socioeconomic impacts of port modifications were found to be largely location

specific and dependent on magnitude of changes to the impact producing factors relative to local 

conditions. These impacts may range in severity and depend upon numerous factors, including the impact 

producing factors, environmental and socioeconomic resources present, location (a primary determinant), 

time of year, and presence of other factors not associated with the intended port modifications. 

Mitigation may take a variety of forms such as compensatory mitigation, regulations and BMPs, and 

operational controls. While there is information available regarding the types of mitigation and potential 

mitigation strategies; there is an overall lack of information with regard to mitigation effectiveness and 

follow-up.

Secondary conclusions reached from the study were that publically available port characteristics 

information is not consistent among multiple ports and sources, available information appears out of date 

in many instances, and there is no single compilation of port characteristics available for BOEM or 

offshore wind developers to use when considering options for staging ports to support an offshore wind 

energy development project.

STUDY RESULTS: The primary factors that were identified as important for ports supporting the 

staging of offshore wind projects were vessel access, lifting capabilities, bearing capacity of the quayside 

and storage area, number of berths and storage area, available transportation infrastructure, and the ability 
ACCESS NUMBER: BOEM 2016-034

to accommodate specialized vessels like jack-ups. Sixteen Atlantic Coast ports were selected and profiled 

to provide a cross-section of the existing infrastructure, capabilities, and potential environmental and 

socioeconomic impacts associated with modifications.

The results of this study further confirmed the complexity of these projects, the need for more consistent 

information about U.S. port characteristics, and emphasized the need for site-specific information and 

early coordination between various stakeholders, as some of the many components that go into 

successfully siting, permitting, and preparing a port for an offshore wind energy project.

STUDY PRODUCT(S): ESS Group, Inc. 2016. The Identification of Port Modifications and the 

Environmental and Socioeconomic Consequences Comprehensive Report. U.S. Department of the 

Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Washington, DC. OCS Study BOEM 2016-034. 238 pp.

 * P.I.’s affiliation may be different than that listed for Project Manager(s).