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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 244 (Wednesday, December 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 75187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-30624]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2012-0091]

Notice of Determination of No Competitive Interest, Offshore 
Maine

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Determination of No Competitive Interest (DNCI) for 
Proposed Commercial Wind Lease Offshore Maine.

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SUMMARY: This notice provides BOEM's determination that there is no 
competitive interest in the area requested by Statoil North America 
(Statoil NA) for a commercial wind lease as described in the Notice of 
Potential Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental 
Shelf (OCS) Offshore Maine, Request for Interest (RFI), that BOEM 
published on August 10, 2012, (77 FR 47877). The RFI described Statoil 
NA's application for a commercial lease for a four-turbine wind energy 
project on the OCS off the coast of Maine, and provided an opportunity 
for the public to submit comments about the proposal.

DATES: Effective December 19, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Aditi Mirani, Project Coordinator, 
BOEM, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, 381 Elden Street, HM 1328, 
Herndon, Virginia 20170. (703) 787-1320.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

    This DNCI is published pursuant to subsection 8(p)(3) of the OCS 
Lands Act, which was added by section 388 of the Energy Policy Act of 
2005 (EPAct) (43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3)), and the implementing regulations 
at 30 CFR part 585. Subsection 8(p)(3) of the OCS Lands Act requires 
that OCS renewable energy leases, easements, and rights-of-way be 
issued ``on a competitive basis unless the Secretary [of the Department 
of the Interior] determines after public notice of a proposed lease, 
easement, or right-of-way (ROW) that there is no competitive 
interest.'' The Secretary delegated the authority to make such 
determinations to BOEM.

Determination and Next Steps

    This DNCI provides notice to the public that BOEM has determined 
there is no competitive interest in the proposed lease area, as no 
indications of competitive interest were submitted in response to the 
RFI.
    In the RFI, BOEM also solicited public comment on site conditions 
and multiple uses within the proposed lease area that would be relevant 
to the proposed project or its impacts. In response to the RFI, BOEM 
received public comment submissions from eleven entities. BOEM will use 
the comments that it received to inform its subsequent decisions. After 
the publication of this DNCI, BOEM will proceed with the noncompetitive 
lease issuance process outlined at 30 CFR 585.231.

Map of the Area

    A map of the area proposed for a commercial lease can be found at 
the following URL: http://www.boem.gov/Renewable-Energy-Program/State-Activities/Maine.aspx.

    Dated: December 14, 2012.
Tommy P. Beaudreau,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2012-30624 Filed 12-18-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
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