A Collaborative Approach to Coordinate Wildlife Regulatory Information Needs and Data Gaps for Offshore Wind Energy Development in New York State

There is limited precedent for offshore wind energy (OSW) facility permitting in the U.S., leading to uncertainties about environmental permitting processes and wildlife data needs for this type of development. The New York... [ view full abstract ]

There is limited precedent for offshore wind energy (OSW) facility permitting in the U.S., leading to uncertainties about environmental permitting processes and wildlife data needs for this type of development. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) funded a collaborative process in which state and federal regulators and managers defined the goals of environmental assessments for OSW and wildlife in New York State, reviewed stakeholder perspectives on how to improve or clarify those regulations, and identified specific research needs and data gaps for marine wind and wildlife in New York. Participants responded to confidential surveys and attended virtual meetings that were structured around regulatory and taxonomic topics, such as coastal zone management and protected bird species. In addition, developers, environmental consultants, and nongovernmental organizations provided independent advisory input during this process. Altogether, more than 50 professionals were involved with regulatory and advisory groups.
Six overarching goals for environmental assessments were identified as part of this process. Specific recommendations focused on improving and clarifying the environmental assessment and permitting process for OSW in New York, for example by improving communications between developers, state agencies, and federal agencies, and clarifying how listed species regulations will be applied to OSW. Participants’ input on the potential effects of OSW on wildlife focused on disturbance of benthic habitats, disturbance to birds and fishes during construction and displacement/attraction during operations, sea turtle and marine mammal mortality and injury (as well as behavioral changes) from boat strikes and pile driving noise, and bird and bat mortality or injury from collision with turbines. Protected species and other species with limited or unknown populations, specifically those with life history traits likely to result in their interaction with OSW, were provided extra consideration.
The Environmental Research Program Plan developed during this process identified a clear and immediate need for baseline data on potential wildlife exposure by season, including distribution, abundance, and movement information, to improve upon the current understanding of offshore wildlife populations in New York. Study participants indicated that such broad-scale data could accelerate the permitting process for individual projects by providing key data to regulators and placing project-specific monitoring results in context. Suggested research priorities included: mapping of benthic habitats and patterns of primary productivity; identifying distribution patterns of focal species such as cetaceans, sea turtles, seabirds, and commercially important fishes; examining the movements and habitat use of focal aquatic species; and assessing the relative vulnerability of avian species to offshore wind energy development in New York, to guide future research activities.
This project will inform further discussions, research, and policy considerations for wildlife and marine wind power in New York State. The application of a similar collaborative, multi-step engagement process in other states could promote the development of a regional framework for identifying, prioritizing, and assessing impacts, and would assist developers and regulators in identifying approaches for regulatory compliance and effective wildlife monitoring and conservation.