Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 3 / Monday, January 6, 2025 / Notices 663 

Campground, Pinball Campground, and 

Lyon’s Gulch Campground. 

The Upper Colorado River SRMA 

Season Pass will apply to day-use sites 

in both field offices and will be adjusted 

from $20 per season to $50 per season. 

This Federal Register notice also 

provides the required notification that a 

Special Area and associated Individual 

Special Recreation Permit (ISRP) fee 

structure are established for the KFO 

UCR SRMA and the CRVFO UCR SRMA 

for on-river camping. KFO is 

establishing a Special Area for KFO’s 

UCR SRMA based on the 2019 Upper 

Colorado River Recreation Area 

Management Plan. CRVFO has 

completed an environmental assessment 

to establish a Special Area for CRVFO’s 

UCR SRMA. An ISRP fee (float-in only) 

of $5 per participant/night will apply to 

25 designated campsites in the KFO’s 

UCR SRMA. An ISRP fee (float-in only) 

of $5 per participant/night will apply to 

the 11 on-river designated campsites in 

the CRVFO’s UCR SRMA. The 

campsites subject to the ISRP fee are 

identified in the Business Plan. 

Under 16 U.S.C. 6802(g)(2)(A) and (C) 

of FLREA, developed campgrounds and 

rental cabins qualify as sites wherein 

visitors can be charged an ‘‘Expanded 

Amenity Recreation Fee.’’ Pursuant to 

FLREA and implementing regulations at 

43 CFR subpart 2933, fees may be 

charged for overnight camping, rental of 

cabins, and group use reservations 

where specific amenities and services 

are provided. The required amenities 

are provided, or will be provided prior 

to fee implementation, at all the 

campgrounds identified in this notice as 

subject to an Expanded Amenity 

Recreation Fee. Specific visitor fees will 

be identified and posted at each 

campground or rental cabin. 

Under 16 U.S.C. 6802(f)(4) of FLREA, 

all day-use sites in this notice qualify as 

areas wherein visitors can be charged a 

‘‘Standard Amenity Recreation Fee’’. 

Pursuant to FLREA and implementing 

regulations at 43 CFR part 2930 subpart 

2933, fees may be charged for an area 

where there are significant 

opportunities for outdoor recreation and 

where fees can be efficiently collected, 

and that has substantial Federal 

investments and contains specific 

amenities and services. Specific visitor 

fees will be identified and posted at 

each day-use site. 

In response to increasing recreation 

demands and visitation on the BLM 

lands, the KFO and CRVFO developed 

a combined recreation fee business plan 

to achieve consistency across the UCR 

SRMA administrative boundaries. 

Standard Amenity, Expanded Amenity, 

and Special Area ISRP fees are needed 

to maintain visitor facilities and visitor 

services, replace aging infrastructure, 

and improve access to recreational 

opportunities. The business plan 

explains: (1) consistency with the BLM 

recreation fee program policy; (2) the 

KFO and CRVFO recreation 

management direction for the UCR 

SRMAs; (3) the need for fee collection; 

(4) how the fees will be used in the area; 

(5) Resource Advisory Council (RAC) 

coordination; and (6) guidance on future 

fee increases. As analyzed in the 

business plan, the recreation use fees 

are consistent with other nearby Federal 

land management agency fees and are 

lower than the fees charged at privately 

owned campgrounds. 

The BLM posted public notices of the 

proposed fees at each recreation site 

during the 2023 use season. The KFO 

and CRVFO will contact local 

governments and local special 

recreation permit holders who may be 

affected. Following FLREA guidelines, 

the BLM Northwest RAC recommended 

the proposed fee structure for approval 

on June 22, 2023. The RAC voted to 

recommend the proposed business plan, 

giving the BLM the discretion to raise 

the fees without returning to the RAC 

for approval within the following 

ranges: $10 to $15 for a normal vehicle; 

$5 to $10 for a bike, motorcycle, or 

walk-in; and $20 to $30 for a highcapacity vehicle, based on the 2023 

consumer price index (CPI). Fees will 

initially be implemented at the lower 

proposed fee schedule. The CPI will be 

utilized in future years to increase fees 

as needed, with CPI escalation allowed 

for any inflationary adjustment above 

2023 dollars. 

A public comment period on the draft 

business plan, announced by news 

release, ran from October 7, 2024, 

through November 6, 2024. The 

Colorado State Director approved the 

final business plan on December 20, 

2024. 

(Authority: 16 U.S.C. 6803(b) and 43 CFR 

2933.22) 

Douglas J. Vilsack, 

Colorado State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2024–31749 Filed 1–3–25; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4331–16–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

[Docket No. BOEM–2024–0061] 

Commercial Leasing for Wind Power 

Development on the Guam Outer 

Continental Shelf—Call for Information 

and Nominations 

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management, Interior. 

ACTION: Call for information and 

nominations; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: This call for information and 

nominations (Call or notice) invites 

public comment on, and assesses 

interest in, possible commercial wind 

energy leasing on the Outer Continental 

Shelf (OCS) offshore Guam as part of 

planning for commercial leasing in the 

region. The Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management (BOEM) will consider 

information received in response to this 

Call to determine whether to schedule a 

competitive lease sale or to issue a 

noncompetitive lease for any portion of 

the area described in this Call (Call 

Area). Those interested in providing 

comments or information regarding site 

conditions, resources, and multiple uses 

in close proximity to or within the Call 

Area should provide the information 

requested in section 8, ‘‘Requested 

Information from Interested or Affected 

Parties,’’ under the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION heading of this Call. 

Those interested in leasing within the 

Call Area for a commercial wind energy 

project should provide the information 

described in section 9, ‘‘Required 

Nomination Information.’’ BOEM may 

or may not offer a lease for a commercial 

offshore wind energy project within the 

Call Area after further consultations, 

public participation, and environmental 

analyses. 

DATES: BOEM must receive your interest 

in or comments on commercial leasing 

within the Call Area no later than April 

7, 2025. BOEM may not consider late 

submissions. 

ADDRESSES: Please submit nomination 

information for commercial leasing as 

discussed in section 9, entitled, 

‘‘Required Nomination Information,’’ 

electronically via email to 

renewableenergypocs@boem.gov or by 

hard copy by mail to the following 

address: Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management, Pacific Region, Office of 

Strategic Resources, 760 Paseo 

Camarillo (CM 102), Camarillo, 

California 93010. If you elect to mail a 

hard copy, also include an electronic 

copy on a portable storage device. Do 

not submit nominations via the Federal 


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664 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 3 / Monday, January 6, 2025 / Notices 

1 74 FR 19638 (April 29, 2009). 

2 76 FR 64432 (October 18, 2011). 

3 89 FR 42602 (May 15, 2024). 

4 88 FR 68460 (October 4, 2023). 

5See this Press Release for additional information 

on the five-year schedule: https://www.doi.gov/ 

pressreleases/secretary-haaland-announces-newfive-year-offshore-wind-leasing-schedule. 

eRulemaking Portal. BOEM will list the 

qualified parties that submitted 

nominations and the aggregated 

locations of nominated areas on its 

website after review of the nominations. 

Please submit all other comments and 

information by either of the following 

two methods: 

1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. In the search box 

at the top of the web page, enter BOEM– 

2024–0061 and then click ‘‘search.’’ 

Follow the instructions to submit public 

comments and to view supporting and 

related materials. 

2. By mail to the following address: 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 

Pacific Region, Office of Strategic 

Resources, 760 Paseo Camarillo (CM 

102), Camarillo, California 93010. 

Treatment of confidential information 

is addressed in section 10 of this notice 

entitled, ‘‘Protection of Privileged, 

Personal, or Confidential Information.’’ 

BOEM will post all comments received 

on regulations.gov unless labeled as 

confidential. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Deanna Meier, Renewable Energy 

Specialist, BOEM, Pacific Region, Office 

of Strategic Resources, 760 Paseo 

Camarillo (CM 102), Camarillo, 

California 93010, (805) 384–6265 or 

deanna.meier@boem.gov. 

For information regarding 

qualification requirements to hold an 

OCS wind energy lease, contact 

Lakeisha Douglas, BOEM, Pacific 

Region, Office of Strategic Resources, at 

lakeisha.douglas@boem.gov or (805) 

384–6394. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

1. Authority 

This Call is published under 

subsection 8(p)(3) of the Outer 

Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), 

43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3), and its 

implementing regulations at 30 CFR 

585.210 and 585.211. 

2. Purpose 

The OCSLA requires BOEM to award 

leases competitively unless BOEM 

determines that there is no competitive 

interest (43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3)). The 

primary purpose of this Call is to collect 

further information and feedback on 

industry interest, site conditions, 

resources, and ocean uses within, and 

surrounding, the Call Area. 

An essential part of BOEM’s 

renewable energy leasing process for 

Guam is working closely with Federal 

agencies, Indigenous Peoples, State and 

local governments, industry, and ocean 

users to identify areas that may be 

suitable for potential offshore wind 

development to provide electric power 

to Guam communities. BOEM has not 

yet determined which areas, if any, 

within the Call Area may be offered for 

lease. Your input is essential and will 

help BOEM determine areas that may be 

suitable for offshore wind energy 

development. There will also be 

multiple opportunities to provide 

feedback throughout the renewable 

energy planning and leasing process. A 

detailed description of the Call Area 

may be found below in section 6, 

‘‘Description of Call Area.’’ For more 

information about BOEM’s competitive 

and noncompetitive leasing processes, 

please see section 4, ‘‘BOEM’s Planning 

and Leasing Process.’’ 

3. Background 

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 

amended OCSLA by adding subsection 

8(p)(1)(C), which authorizes the 

Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to 

grant leases, easements, and rights-ofway on the OCS for activities that are 

not otherwise authorized by law and 

that produce or support production, 

transportation, or transmission of energy 

from sources other than oil or gas, 

including renewable energy sources. 

Furthermore, under section 3(3) of 

OCSLA (43 U.S.C. 1332(3)), BOEM 

considers leasing the OCS for offshore 

wind development because ‘‘the Outer 

Continental Shelf is a vital national 

resource reserve held by the Federal 

Government for the public, which 

should be made available for 

expeditious and orderly development, 

subject to environmental safeguards, in 

a manner which is consistent with the 

maintenance of competition and other 

national needs.’’ 

The Secretary delegated these OCSLA 

authorities to the BOEM Director. On 

April 29, 2009, the Department of the 

Interior (Department) published 

regulations entitled, ‘‘Renewable Energy 

and Alternate Uses of Existing Facilities 

on the Outer Continental Shelf,’’ 1

which were subsequently re-codified at 

30 CFR part 585.2 On May 15, 2024, the 

Department amended its offshore 

renewable energy regulations through 

the publication of the final Renewable 

Energy Modernization Rule.3 This final 

rule reduced regulatory burdens and 

streamlined processes and incorporated 

recommendations from stakeholders. 

The Renewable Energy Modernization 

Rule became effective on July 15, 2024. 

Section 50251(b) of the Inflation 

Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) expanded 

the definition of the OCS under OCSLA 

to include submerged lands within the 

exclusive economic zone adjacent to 

U.S. territories. The IRA directs the 

Secretary to issue calls for interest in 

offshore wind leasing off territorial 

coasts and authorizes wind lease sales 

in areas deemed feasible and of interest 

after the Secretary has consulted with 

the Territorial Governor. BOEM and the 

Government of Guam have initiated the 

first planning step in the BOEM 

renewable energy authorization process 

by establishing the BOEM Guam 

Intergovernmental Renewable Energy 

Task Force (Task Force) at the request 

of the Honorable Lourdes ‘‘Lou’’ Aflague 

Leon Guerrero, the Governor of Guam. 

In a subsection entitled, ‘‘Offshore 

Wind for the Territories,’’ the IRA 

imposed several deadlines for wind 

energy leasing offshore the U.S. 

territories. Specifically, in Section 

50251(b)(2), the IRA directs the 

Secretary to issue an initial Call for 

Information and Nominations no later 

than September 30, 2025. This Call 

meets the relevant requirements and 

deadline from the IRA. 

On October 4, 2023, the Department 

amended its offshore renewable energy 

regulations to conform with the IRA. 

The regulation entitled, ‘‘Conformity 

with the Inflation Reduction Act for 

Renewable Energy on the Outer 

Continental Shelf’’ 4 became effective on 

December 4, 2023. 

Because Guam is a volcanicallyformed island in the Pacific Ocean, it 

has a narrow coastal shelf with steep 

continental slopes, and thus the ocean 

deepens quickly from shore. As a result, 

the Call Area is in water depths too 

deep for traditional fixed bottom 

foundation designs, and offshore wind 

development in these areas will require 

floating technology and designs. On 

September 15, 2022, the Biden 

Administration announced the goal of 

deploying 15 GW of floating offshore 

wind power in the U.S. by 2035, 

building on the existing goal of 30 GW 

of total offshore wind energy by 2030. 

BOEM is committed to this ambitious 

goal by responsibly fostering the growth 

of offshore wind energy capacity and 

participating in collaborative, databased planning to inform decisions 

involving shared ocean resources and 

the many users that depend on them. To 

this end, BOEM’s five-year renewable 

energy leasing schedule includes a 

potential lease sale for a U.S. Territory 

in 2028.5


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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 3 / Monday, January 6, 2025 / Notices 665 

Notably, upon release of this Call, 

BOEM intends to continue engagement 

with the Indigenous Peoples of Guam. 

Indigenous knowledge about the local 

environment and concerns of 

Indigenous Peoples about offshore wind 

project development constitute crucial 

information to be considered during the 

BOEM offshore wind planning and 

leasing process. BOEM appreciates the 

importance of coordinating its planning 

with other OCS users, regulators, and 

relevant Federal agencies including, but 

not limited to, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, the National Park 

Service, the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard, the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA), the 

Department of the Interior’s Office of 

Insular Affairs, and the Department of 

Defense (DoD). BOEM also coordinates 

with and requests input from the 

Western Pacific Regional Fishery 

Management Council and Guam Sea 

Grant; both of these organizations 

consider Indigenous fishing practices. In 

addition, BOEM uses other information 

sources in its decision-making, such as 

data and information on the location of 

marine life and habitat areas, cultural 

resources, transportation links, fishing 

areas, and other human uses that must 

be considered when offshore energy or 

other infrastructure projects are 

proposed. In 2024, BOEM received a 

request from Guam’s Governor to 

convene a regional intergovernmental 

renewable energy task force and begin 

the process of investigating offshore 

wind as an option for Guam. In 

response, BOEM established the BOEM 

Guam Intergovernmental Renewable 

Energy Task Force to facilitate 

coordination among relevant Federal 

agencies and Territorial and local 

governments throughout the leasing and 

planning process. The first Task Force 

meeting was held on September 11, 

2024. Materials from the Task Force 

meeting are available on the BOEM 

website at: https://www.boem.gov/ 

renewable-energy/state-activities/guamactivities. 

The Task Force meeting was followed 

by a two-day BOEM/National Centers 

for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Data 

Workshop, which was held on 

September 12 and 13, 2024. Attendees 

from Federal, Territorial, and local 

agencies and non-governmental 

organizations provided data and insight 

on potential data gaps. Information 

about the NCCOS process can be found 

on the NOAA NCCOS website at: 

https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/ 

marine-biogeographic-assessment-of-us-territories/. 

Guam’s electricity is provided entirely 

by the Guam Power Authority (GPA), a 

public utility company overseen by the 

Consolidated Commission on Utilities 

and regulated by the Guam Public 

Utilities Commission. In 2019, Guam 

Public Law 35–46 amended GPA’s 

renewable energy portfolio standard 

goal to 100 percent by 2045. GPA 

included a pathway to 100 percent 

renewable energy by 2040 in its Clean 

Energy Master Plan, along with an 

interim goal of 50 percent renewable 

energy by 2030. Solar photovoltaic 

energy and energy storage system 

projects have paved the way for 

renewables and contributed toward 

achievement of GPA’s renewable energy 

goals thus far. 

4. BOEM’s Planning and Leasing 

Process 

a. Determination of Competitive Interest 

Subsection 8(p)(3) of OCSLA states 

that ‘‘the Secretary shall issue a lease, 

easement, or right-of-way . . . on a 

competitive basis unless the Secretary 

determines after public notice of a 

proposed lease, easement, or right-ofway that there is no competitive 

interest.’’ 

If BOEM determines both that 

competitive interest exists in acquiring 

a lease to develop offshore wind energy 

and that the areas within the Call Area 

are appropriate to lease, BOEM may 

hold one or more competitive lease sales 

for those areas. If BOEM holds a lease 

sale, all qualified bidders, including 

bidders that did not submit a 

nomination in response to this Call, will 

be able to participate in the lease sale. 

BOEM reserves the right to refrain 

from offering for lease any areas that are 

nominated as a result of this Call and to 

modify nominated areas before offering 

them for lease. 

b. Competitive Leasing Process 

BOEM will follow the steps required 

by 30 CFR 585.211 through 585.226 if it 

decides to proceed with the competitive 

leasing process after analyzing the 

responses to this Call. Those steps are: 

(1) Area Identification: BOEM will 

identify areas for consideration for 

leasing. Those areas will constitute 

Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) and will be 

subject to environmental analysis in 

consultation with appropriate Federal 

agencies, Indigenous Peoples, Territorial 

and local governments, and other 

interested parties. Before finalizing the 

WEAs, BOEM may publish draft WEAs 

with a public comment period and a 

docket on regulations.gov. 

(2) Proposed Sale Notice (PSN): If 

BOEM decides to proceed with a 

competitive lease sale within the WEAs, 

BOEM will publish a PSN in the 

Federal Register with a public comment 

period of 60 days, unless BOEM 

specifies another time period of not less 

than 30 days. The PSN will describe the 

areas that BOEM intends to offer for 

leasing, the proposed conditions of a 

lease sale, the proposed auction format 

of the lease sale, and the lease 

instrument, including the proposed 

lease addenda. Additionally, the PSN 

will describe the criteria and process for 

evaluating bids in the lease sale. 

(3) Final Sale Notice (FSN): After 

considering the comments on the PSN 

and completing its environmental 

analysis and consultations, if BOEM 

decides to proceed with a competitive 

lease sale, it will publish an FSN in the 

Federal Register at least 30 days before 

the date of the lease sale. The FSN will 

provide the final terms and conditions 

for a lease sale, including the date, time, 

and location for the sale itself. The FSN 

will also include a list of the companies 

that have legally, technically and 

financially qualified to participate in the 

lease sale. 

(4) Bid Submission and Evaluation: 

Following the publication of the FSN in 

the Federal Register, BOEM will offer 

the lease area(s) through a competitive 

sale process using procedures specified 

in the FSN. BOEM will review the sale, 

including bids and bid deposits, for 

technical and legal adequacy. BOEM 

will ensure that bidders have complied 

with all applicable regulations. BOEM 

reserves the right to reject all bids and 

to withdraw an offer to lease an area, 

even after bids have been submitted. 

(5) Issuance of a Lease: Following 

identification of the winning bidder on 

a lease area, BOEM will notify that 

bidder and provide the lease documents 

for signature. 

5. Development of the Call Area 

BOEM began discussions in 2024 with 

the Government of Guam and several 

Federal agencies (i.e., NOAA and DoD) 

on the potential for offshore wind 

leasing on the OCS offshore Guam. The 

breadth of relevant spatial data 

representing marine natural resources 

and ocean uses available in the area 

surrounding Guam must be further 

understood. Therefore, BOEM’s strategy 

for the Guam Call Area is to start with 

an expanded geographic area to allow 

for broad information collection and 

geospatial analysis. 

BOEM defined the northern boundary 

of the Call Area as the area halfway 

between Guam and the nearby island of 

Rota. BOEM removed only a limited 

number of areas from the Call Area, 

including areas in which offshore wind 


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666 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 3 / Monday, January 6, 2025 / Notices 

energy development cannot occur as a 

result of law, jurisdictional, or technical 

considerations. These include: 

• Areas between the shoreline and 3 

nautical miles from shore; 

• Areas deeper than 2600 meters. 

The Call Area is the area within 

which BOEM is seeking to identify one 

or more locations suitable for offshore 

wind development. It is not indicative 

of the area that may ultimately be 

developed. BOEM recognizes that the 

Call Area may include areas where 

future offshore wind energy 

development could conflict with 

existing ocean uses (e.g., fishing, 

shipping) and sensitive habitats that are 

important to the conservation and 

recovery of protected species, including 

specific areas which BOEM previously 

received feedback on during the 

September 2024 Task Force meeting 

(e.g., fishing areas to the north of Guam). 

The intention of defining a large Call 

Area is to receive feedback across a 

broad area on specific locations that 

may or may not be well suited for 

offshore wind based on a variety of 

factors. The feedback and information 

provided can then be incorporated into 

the offshore wind planning process. 

6. Description of Call Area 

The Call Area consists of 2,114,344 

acres located off the coast of Guam (see 

Figure 1). The map depicting the Call 

Area (Figure 1), a spreadsheet listing its 

specific OCS blocks, and an Esri 

shapefile are available for download on 

the BOEM website at: https://

www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/stateactivities/guam-activities. 

7. Guam Next Steps 

The Call Area identifies broad 

portions of the OCS offshore Guam for 

further analysis. That analysis will 

include consideration of commercial 

nominations and public comments 

submitted in response to this Call so 

that potential use conflicts can be 

analyzed during the next step in the 

leasing process: the designation of 

specific WEAs (Area Identification). 

BOEM’s analysis during Area 

Identification will evaluate the 

appropriateness of the Call Area for 

offshore wind energy development, 

balanced against potential ocean user 

conflicts. 

BOEM will consider environmental 

information, consultations, public 

comments, and continued coordination 

with the BOEM Guam 

Intergovernmental Renewable Energy 

Task Force, which includes relevant 

Federal, Territorial, and local 

governments. If BOEM continues to 

proceed with the process, BOEM 

anticipates designating specific WEAs 

within the Call Area and developing 

lease terms and conditions to avoid, 

minimize, or mitigate potential impacts 

from leasing and site assessment 

activities. Starting with the Call and 

continuing through the subsequent 

stages in BOEM’s leasing process, 

BOEM is committed to working with the 

following groups: 

a. Coordination With the Guam 

Governor’s Office 

BOEM coordinated with staff from the 

Governor’s office to plan the first Task 

Force meeting and to engage with 

Territorial and local agencies and 

Indigenous Peoples. BOEM coordinated 


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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 3 / Monday, January 6, 2025 / Notices 667 

6BOEM Enhances its Processes to Identify Future 

Offshore Wind Energy Areas. (September 16, 2022). 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. https://

www.boem.gov/newsroom/notes-stakeholders/ 

boem-enhances-its-processes-identify-futureoffshore-wind-energy-areas. 

7BOEM. 2024. Memorandum of Understanding 

Between the Department of Defense and the 

Department of the Interior Regarding Renewable 

Energy Development on the Outer Continental 

Shelf. Available at: https://www.boem.gov/sites/ 

default/files/documents/about-boem/regulationsguidance/BOEM%20DOD%20MOU%20- 

Collaboration%20on%20Offshore%20Wind%20

Development.pdf. 

with the Governor’s office while 

developing the Call Area and will 

continue coordination to convene the 

Task Force to enhance collaboration and 

address challenges associated with the 

siting of offshore wind leasing areas. 

b. BOEM/NCCOS Partnership 

In September 2022, BOEM announced 

enhancements to its Area Identification 

process.6 One of these enhancements is 

a partnership with NCCOS to employ a 

spatial model that analyzes entire 

marine ecosystems to identify the least 

conflicted areas for wind energy sites. 

NCCOS and BOEM are leveraging a 

team of expert spatial planners, marine 

and fisheries scientists, project 

coordinators, environmental policy 

analysts, and other subject matter 

experts to develop the Guam Offshore 

Wind Suitability Model (suitability 

model). 

BOEM and NCCOS intend to use the 

suitability modeling methods that were 

previously applied to offshore wind 

energy siting efforts in the Gulf of 

Mexico, Gulf of Maine, Oregon, and 

Central Atlantic regions during Area 

Identification. NCCOS’s spatial 

modeling approach provides a tool for 

identifying areas that are most suitable 

for offshore wind energy development, 

particularly when large areas of the OCS 

offshore a state or territory have 

potential for such development. 

Additionally, BOEM intends for this 

partnership and modeling approach to 

enhance transparency, improve 

engagement, and provide a consistent, 

reproducible methodology for 

understanding and deconflicting ocean 

space. As described in Section 3, BOEM 

and NCCOS held a Data Workshop in 

September 2024 to begin the process of 

gathering data and forming 

collaborations between multiple 

Federal, Territorial, and local agencies 

and non-governmental organizations to 

discuss data in the region. 

c. Coordination With DoD 

DoD conducts offshore training and 

operations within portions of the Call 

Area. BOEM intends to refine the Call 

Area during the Area Identification 

process based on DoD’s assessment of 

compatibility between commercial 

offshore wind energy development and 

DoD activities as described in the 

‘‘Memorandum of Understanding 

Between the Department of Defense and 

the Department of the Interior Regarding 

Renewable Energy Development on the 

Outer Continental Shelf’’ signed in 

October 2024.7

BOEM is currently working with DoD 

and will continue collaborating closely 

with DoD on Guam’s offshore wind 

energy mission compatibility 

assessment. That assessment may 

identify areas incompatible for wind 

energy leasing, areas potentially 

incompatible with mitigation measures, 

and/or areas compatible with wind 

energy development. Potentially 

incompatible areas are those that will 

require site-specific mitigation to ensure 

that offshore wind energy facilities are 

compatible with DoD activities. These 

mitigation measures may include, 

among others: hold and save harmless 

agreements; mandatory coordination 

with DoD on specified activities; 

restrictions on electromagnetic 

emissions; and evacuation procedures 

from the lease area for safety reasons 

when notified by DoD. BOEM may 

remove from leasing consideration any 

OCS blocks identified as incompatible 

with DoD’s activities in the 

compatibility assessment. 

d. Coordination With Chamoru 

Community and Indigenous Peoples 

Local and Territorial agencies with 

associations with the Chamoru 

community are members of or have been 

invited to be a part of the Task Force. 

BOEM will continue to engage with 

members of these agencies and other 

local groups during the offshore wind 

planning process, including Area 

Identification. Some of the concerns 

identified are potential impacts on 

Indigenous fishing practices, traditional 

navigation and paddling, and land use 

associated with offshore wind projects; 

additionally, meeting fatigue and 

capacity issues were also cited as 

concerns. BOEM will engage further 

with these groups to identify additional 

concerns through outreach and ongoing 

studies in the region. BOEM has started 

engagement with the Indigenous 

Peoples of Guam and the 

Commonwealth of Northern Mariana 

Islands through the BOEM-funded study 

entitled, ‘‘Maritime Heritage of the U.S. 

Pacific Islands,’’ which will continue 

through 2027. 

e. Coordination With NOAA National 

Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Pacific 

Islands Regional Office (PIRO) 

NMFS has broad responsibility in 

research and management of the marine 

environment, including management of 

sustainable fisheries, and conservation 

and recovery of protected resources. 

BOEM and the NMFS Pacific Island 

Regional Office (PIRO) will collaborate 

closely throughout the offshore wind 

planning process by partnering to close 

information gaps; engage with 

Indigenous, recreational and 

commercial fishers; and on data 

collection and sharing. PIRO will be an 

important partner in the NCCOS Area 

Identification process. After the Area 

Identification process, BOEM plans to 

conduct an Environmental Assessment 

under the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) prior to leasing. 

BOEM would also initiate the necessary 

consultations with NMFS under the 

Endangered Species Act and the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

(MSA) regarding potential impacts. 

f. Coordination With Western Pacific 

Regional Fishery Management Council 

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery 

Management Council (Council) is one of 

eight regional councils established by 

the MSA. The Council manages fisheries 

within the Exclusive Economic Zone 

(EEZ) off Hawai1i, American Samoa, 

Guam, the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands, and eight 

remote islands. BOEM coordinates with 

the Council by providing status updates 

on offshore wind planning for Guam 

and will continue coordination 

throughout the planning and leasing 

process. The Council provides crucial 

feedback on managed fisheries and 

Indigenous Peoples’ fishing in the 

region. 

8. Requested Information From 

Interested or Affected Parties 

Feedback from interested or affected 

parties is essential to help BOEM 

identify areas that may be suitable for 

potential offshore wind development. 

Commenters should be as specific and 

detailed as possible to help BOEM 

understand and address the comments. 

Where applicable, spatial information 

should be submitted in a format 

compatible with Esri ArcGIS (Esri 

shapefile or Esri file geodatabase) in the 

WGS84 geographic coordinate system. 

BOEM requests comments regarding the 

following features, activities, 

mitigations, or concerns within or 

around the Call Area. 


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a. Information on geological, 

geophysical, and biological sea floor 

conditions (including bottom and 

shallow hazards and live bottom). 

b. Information on protected species. 

c. Information on other uses of the 

OCS in or near the Call Area, 

particularly with regard to vessel 

navigation. Additional information 

regarding recreational, commercial and 

Indigenous fisheries, including, but not 

limited to, the use of the areas, the 

fishing gear types used, seasonal use, 

and recommendations for reducing use 

conflicts. 

d. Information on potential locations 

of unexploded ordnance (UXO); other 

historic dumping or disposal in the 

marine environment. 

e. Information on current energy use, 

renewable energy goals and potential 

interest in offshore wind development 

on the OCS near islands surrounding 

Guam (e.g., Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands). 

f. Information on renewable energy 

cost analyses or wind datasets that may 

be available. Relatedly, BOEM is 

providing funding to the National 

Renewable Energy Laboratory for work 

to inform the Levelized Cost of Energy 

for offshore wind off Guam that will 

include modeled wind speeds in and 

around the Call Area. BOEM welcomes 

additional information on these topics. 

g. Information from the offshore wind 

energy industry on the considerations 

for offshore energy development in deep 

waters, including greater than 1,300 

meter water depths, and in areas where 

the seafloor slope is greater than 10 

degrees, with respect to mooring 

configurations and subsea transmission 

cables. Feedback on other development 

considerations in deep waters, such as 

available floating technology, 

transmission distance, water depth, 

seafloor conditions, and operations and 

maintenance feasibility and costs. 

h. Information regarding the 

identification of historic properties or 

potential effects to historic properties 

from leasing, site assessment activities 

(including the installation of 

meteorological buoys), or commercial 

wind energy development in the Call 

Area. This includes potential offshore 

archaeological sites, cultural resources, 

or other historic properties within the 

areas described in this notice and 

onshore historic properties that could 

potentially be affected by renewable 

energy activities within the Call Area. 

This information will inform BOEM’s 

review of future undertakings 

conducted pursuant to Section 106 of 

the National Historic Preservation Act 

(NHPA) and the NEPA. 

i. Information relating to visual and 

scenic resources, including seascape, 

landscape, and ocean character 

aesthetics; visually sensitive areas along 

the coastline that are sensitive to 

changes in ocean views (e.g., scenic 

seaside trails, National Park System 

units, National Wildlife Refuges, 

Territorial parks, historic districts, 

conservation areas, and other special 

designations with scenic value); 

suggestions for potential key 

observation points for evaluating 

potential visual impacts (i.e., places that 

people visit, recreate, work, and live 

where ocean views contribute to the 

quality of experience); general or 

specific public concerns over potential 

visual impacts by wind energy 

development; and potential strategies to 

help minimize or mitigate any visual 

effects. BOEM welcomes input on the 

degree of acceptable or unacceptable 

levels of offshore wind energy visibility 

as would be seen from the coastline, and 

thresholds of diminished or increased 

visibility as influenced by distances 

between onshore viewers and wind 

energy facilities. 

j. Information regarding the potential 

for interference with radar systems 

covering the Call Area, including, but 

not limited to, the use of surface and 

airborne radar systems for offshore 

search and rescue operations and 

environmental monitoring. 

k. Information regarding locations and 

activities associated with potential, 

ongoing and future exploration of 

offshore sand resources, including 

nearshore resources and placement 

areas that may be impacted by a 

potential future lease area or possible 

electrical cable transmission routes. 

l. Information on the constraints and 

advantages of possible electrical cable 

transmission routes, including onshore 

landing and interconnection points for 

cables connecting offshore wind energy 

facilities to the onshore electrical grid, 

and information regarding future 

demand for electricity in the region. 

m. Information regarding the size and 

number of WEAs, taking into 

consideration the offshore wind energy 

goals of Guam. BOEM requests further 

information on what additional factors 

it should consider in determining the 

size and number of WEAs. 

n. Information related to Indigenous 

Peoples in the region and interactions 

with potential offshore wind energy 

facilities, such as potential impacts to 

CHamoru cultural practices; lands; 

resources; ancestral lands; sacred sites, 

including sites that are submerged; and 

access to traditional areas of cultural or 

religious importance on federally 

managed lands and waters. BOEM will 

protect confidential information shared 

by Indigenous Peoples in response to 

this Call to the extent authorized by 

Federal law. Treatment of confidential 

information is addressed in section 10 

of this notice entitled, ‘‘Protection of 

Privileged, Personal, or Confidential 

Information.’’ 

o. Socioeconomic information for 

communities potentially affected by 

wind energy leasing in the Call Area, 

including community profiles, 

vulnerability and resiliency data, and 

information on environmental justice 

communities. BOEM also solicits 

comments on how best to meaningfully 

engage with these communities. 

p. Information on coastal or onshore 

activities needed to support offshore 

wind energy development, such as port 

and transmission infrastructure, and 

associated potential impacts to 

recreation, scenic, cultural, historical, 

and natural resources relating to those 

activities. 

q. Any other relevant information that 

you think BOEM should consider 

during its planning and decisionmaking process for the purpose of 

identifying areas to lease within the Call 

Area. 

9. Required Nomination Information 

BOEM previously received 

information that its former practice of 

publishing the areas nominated by each 

qualified company in response to a Call 

may disincentivize entities from 

submitting nominations. Nominations 

and the accompanying rationale are 

extremely useful to help BOEM 

understand and model the commercial 

viability of portions of the OCS. 

Therefore, BOEM will not publish 

individual maps of each qualified 

company’s nominations received in 

response to this Call. BOEM will 

publish a heatmap that shows an 

aggregated view of all the nominations 

and a list of the qualified companies 

that submitted nominations. Where 

applicable, qualified companies should 

submit spatial information in a format 

compatible with Esri ArcGIS (Esri 

shapefile or Esri file geodatabase) in the 

WGS84 geographic coordinate system. 

If you wish to nominate one or more 

areas for a commercial wind energy 

lease within the Call Area, you must 

provide the following information for 

each nomination: 

(a) The BOEM protraction name, 

number, and the specific whole or 

partial OCS blocks within the Call Area 

that you are interested in leasing. If your 

nomination includes one or more partial 

blocks, please describe those partial 

blocks in terms of sixteenths (i.e., subblock) of an OCS block. Each area you 


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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 3 / Monday, January 6, 2025 / Notices 669 

nominate should be sized appropriately 

to accommodate the development of a 

reasonable wind energy facility for the 

region (e.g., a facility with the 

generation capacity of up to 350 

megawatts) plus a buffer (generation 

capacity of up to 500 megawatts). 

Nominations that considerably exceed 

the acreage needed to support a 

generation capacity of up to 500 

megawatts, such as a nomination for the 

entire Call Area, may be deemed 

unreasonable and not accepted by 

BOEM. 

(b) A rationale describing why you 

selected the nominated areas. The more 

detailed the rationale provided, the 

more informative it will be to BOEM’s 

process. BOEM is particularly interested 

in how factors like wind speed, water 

depth, seafloor slope, bottom type, and 

interconnection points factor into the 

nomination process. 

(c) A description of your objectives 

and the facilities that you would use to 

achieve those objectives. 

(d) A preliminary schedule of 

proposed activities, including those 

leading to commercial operations. 

(e) Available and pertinent data and 

information concerning renewable 

energy resources and environmental 

conditions in each area that you wish to 

lease, including energy and resource 

data, and other information used to 

evaluate the area. 

(f) Documentation demonstrating that 

you are legally, technically, and 

financially qualified to hold an OCS 

wind energy lease, as set forth in 30 CFR 

585.107—585.108. Qualification 

materials should be developed in 

accordance with the guidelines 

available at https://www.boem.gov/ 

Renewable-Energy-QualificationGuidelines. For examples of 

documentation appropriate for 

demonstrating your legal qualifications 

and related guidance, contact Lakeisha 

Douglas, BOEM, Pacific Region, Office 

of Strategic Resources, at 

lakeisha.douglas@boem.gov or (805) 

384–6394. 

10. Protection of Privileged, Personal, 

or Confidential Information 

a. Freedom of Information Act 

BOEM will protect privileged or 

confidential information that you 

submit when required by the Freedom 

of Information Act (FOIA). Exemption 4 

of FOIA applies to trade secrets and 

commercial or financial information 

that is privileged or confidential. If you 

wish to protect the confidentiality of 

such information, clearly label it and 

request that BOEM treat it as 

confidential. BOEM will not disclose 

such information if BOEM determines 

under 30 CFR 585.114(b) that it qualifies 

for exemption from disclosure under 

FOIA. Please label privileged or 

confidential information ‘‘Contains 

Confidential Information’’ and consider 

submitting such information as a 

separate attachment. 

BOEM will not treat as confidential 

any aggregate summaries of such 

information or comments not containing 

such privileged or confidential 

information. Information that is not 

labeled as privileged or confidential 

may be regarded by BOEM as suitable 

for public release. 

b. Personally Identifiable Information 

BOEM encourages you not to submit 

anonymous comments. Please include 

your name and address as part of your 

comment. You should be aware that 

your entire comment, including your 

name, address, and any personally 

identifiable information (PII) included 

in your comment, may be made publicly 

available. All submissions from 

identified individuals, businesses, and 

organizations will be available for 

public viewing on regulations.gov. Note 

that BOEM will make available for 

public inspection all comments, in their 

entirety, submitted by organizations and 

businesses, or by individuals identifying 

themselves as representatives of 

organizations or businesses. 

For BOEM to consider withholding 

your PII from disclosure, you must 

identify any information contained in 

your comments that, if released, would 

constitute a clearly unwarranted 

invasion of your personal privacy. You 

must also briefly describe any possible 

harmful consequences of the disclosure 

of information, such as embarrassment, 

injury, or other harm. Even if BOEM 

withholds your information in the 

context of this Call, your submission is 

subject to FOIA and, if your submission 

is requested under FOIA, your 

information will be withheld only if a 

determination is made that one of 

FOIA’s exemptions to disclosure 

applies. Such a determination will be 

made in accordance with the 

Department’s FOIA regulations and 

applicable law. 

c. Section 304 of the NHPA (54 U.S.C. 

307103(a)) 

After consultation with the Secretary, 

BOEM is required to withhold the 

location, character, or ownership of 

historic resources if it determines that 

disclosure may, among other things, risk 

harm to the historic resources or impede 

the use of a traditional religious site by 

practitioners. Indigenous Peoples, 

communities, and organizations should 

designate information that falls under 

Section 304 of the NHPA as 

confidential. 

11. BOEM’s Environmental Review 

Process 

Before deciding whether leases may 

be issued, BOEM will prepare an 

Environmental Assessment (EA) under 

NEPA (including public comment 

periods to determine the scope of the 

EA and to review and comment on the 

draft EA). The EA will analyze 

anticipated impacts from leasing within 

the WEAs and site characterization and 

assessment activities expected to occur 

after a lease is issued. Site 

characterization activities include 

geophysical, geotechnical, 

archaeological, and biological surveys, 

and site assessment activities, including 

the installation and operation of 

meteorological buoys. BOEM will also 

conduct appropriate consultations with 

Federal agencies, Territorial agencies, 

and local governments during 

preparation of the EA. These 

consultations include, but are not 

limited to, those required by the Coastal 

Zone Management Act, the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act, the Endangered 

Species Act, and Section 106 of the 

NHPA. 

Before BOEM allows any construction 

of a wind energy project in the Call 

Area, BOEM must approve a 

construction and operations plan (COP) 

submitted by a Lessee. Prior to the 

approval of a COP, BOEM will need to 

consider the potential environmental 

effects of the construction and operation 

of any wind energy facility under a 

separate, project-specific NEPA 

analysis. This analysis will include 

additional opportunities for public 

involvement and may result in the 

publication of an environmental impact 

statement. 

Elizabeth Klein, 

Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management. 

[FR Doc. 2024–31231 Filed 1–3–25; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4340–98–P 


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