Bluepoint Wind is a partnership between Ocean Winds (OW), an international offshore wind energy company created as a 50/50 joint venture of EDP Renewables and ENGIE, and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). Together, these companies have a successful track record of over 50 years of experience in development, financing, construction, and operation of renewable energy projects, including more than 16 years on offshore wind projects. OW develops, builds, and operates offshore wind projects in communities around the world, with a current portfolio of 15 projects across 7 countries.
Learn more about the project here: https://bluepointwind.com/the-project/
Each vessel used by Bluepoint Wind follows strict mitigation measures to protect marine life. Such measures include following seasonal speed restrictions, as well as employing protected species observers (PSOs) on all our survey vessels. PSOs are trained to monitor marine mammals in the area and avoid them during survey campaigns.
Bluepoint Wind is committed to the responsible development of offshore wind and to protecting the health of local ecosystems. Ocean Winds, one of Bluepoint Wind’s parent companies, is also an active member of various technical working groups focused on collaboration with commercial and recreational fisheries across its three projects in the United States.
Recent whale strandings are tragic, but there is no evidence that they are the result of offshore wind activity. Rather, evidence points to vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear as the leading factors in most whale deaths in the northeastern United States. The climate crisis is also a significant threat to the well-being of whales and their marine habitats.
The Marine Mammal Commission, an independent government agency that oversees the conservation of marine mammals and their environment, said on February 2023 that “there is no evidence to link these strandings to offshore wind energy development.” The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has also stated that there is no scientific evidence that noise resulting from offshore wind site characterization surveys could potentially cause mortality of whales.
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Learn more about Bluepoint Wind’s engagement with ocean users here: https://bluepointwind.com/information-for-mariners/
Bluepoint Wind completed conducting offshore geotechnical and geophysical surveys to better understand the conditions of the seafloor. Surveys and ecological studies help form a significant part of the planning and development stage of the project. These surveys collect a variety of data, including soil samples and acoustic mapping, to guide technical planning. Bluepoint Wind notifies local mariners and interested parties of all survey activities. The project is currently conducting further geotechnical surveys within the lease area. More information on our current survey activities can be found here.
Bluepoint Wind is currently in the Planning and Development phase, which means we are implementing site assessment surveys and holding meetings with local and regional stakeholders to learn how to best serve local communities, ecosystems, and economies. The input we receive in this stage will be incorporated into the development process and will be reflected in our project plans. For more information, please see our factsheet.
At full capacity, the Bluepoint Wind project will generate 2.4 gigawatts (GW) of clean wind energy – powering about 1,000,000 homes and helping the region meet its ambitious carbon emissions reduction goals. The energy generated by Bluepoint Wind is expected to avoid more than 6.6 million metric tons of CO2, which is the equivalent of taking over 1.5 million gasoline-powered vehicles off the road for one year (Source: EPA).
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) underwent an extensive scoping process to determine lease areas for the development of offshore wind. This process included opportunities for public engagement through public comments and meetings, a Department of Defense assessment, and an environmental assessment evaluating the impacts of construction and energy production.
Bluepoint Wind participated in a competitive auction, and in part, chose our specific lease area because of its long distance from the coastal communities of New York and New Jersey.
For more information on our lease area, visit https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/new-york-bight.
Bluepoint Wind supports the Just Transition to clean energy, which involves engaging with communities about the many benefits of offshore wind, including cleaner air and access to green jobs.
Bluepoint Wind has contacted over 100 organizations as a part of our initial stakeholder listening tour. Over the course of these meetings, stakeholders were able to express their top concerns, interests, and questions about offshore wind, environmental justice, workforce development, supply chain diversity, and many other issues. Bluepoint Wind plans to continue our extensive outreach to stakeholders and will make sure to incorporate this crucial feedback throughout the development process.
Both now and in the years to come, the offshore wind industry will create a broad and exciting spectrum of educational, workforce, and economic development opportunities spanning various sectors. Bluepoint Wind recognizes that this will require equipping the current and future workforce with the relevant, in-demand knowledge and skills needed to fully take advantage of these opportunities. By working closely with communities and other stakeholders, Bluepoint Wind plans to create and support inclusive pathways to family-sustaining jobs in the offshore wind sector.
We do not expect the Bluepoint Wind project to be visible from the shore, since it will be located 53 nautical miles from the coast of New Jersey and 38 nautical miles from the coast of Long Island.
