NEWPORT — Lincoln County commissioners have joined a growing number of public and private groups in asking the federal government to either slow or augment plans to build wind-energy farms off the Oregon coast.
The three-member board unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday that makes several specific requests, including one calling for “a robust, scientifically driven” planning process that includes commercial and recreational fishing interests, coastal communities, tribes, the environmental community and others.
The Port of Toledo, the Newport City Council and the legislative Coastal Caucus recently approved similar resolutions.
The actions are in response to plans by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to begin leasing so-called “call” areas totaling nearly 2,200 square miles of ocean from Coos Bay south to Brookings.
Towering wind turbines in those areas are part of the Biden administrations hopes of creating 30 gigawatts of electricity-generating capacity through offshore wind by 2030.
The county’s resolution includes, among other things, requests to move call areas outside of major commercial fishing areas; creation of a comprehensive marine spatial plan before any ocean space is put up for lease; collection of better data sets “to better understand potential impacts of the marine environment.”
Under the federal planning process now underway, the first leases could be auctioned off as early as next year.
