NEW: The next meeting of the Fisheries Working Group on Offshore Wind Energy will be held online, via Zoom, on November 16 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Meeting link and agenda are now available in the “Meetings” section of this page.
Offshore wind energy is the largest ocean-based renewable energy resource in Massachusetts and significant progress has been made on the planning, siting, analysis, and leasing for potential offshore wind energy projects in federal waters off the Commonwealth. In federal waters, the leasing of the Outer Continental Shelf for renewable energy is the authority of the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). Since 2009, Massachusetts has been working closely with BOEM, participating on an Intergovernmental Task Force comprised of federal, state, tribal, and local agency representatives and elected officials. For more information, see the BOEM Renewable Energy web page and the BOEM Massachusetts Activities web page.
To augment the Intergovernmental Task Force process and engage directly with key stakeholders, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (CEC) convened two working groups for fisheries and marine habitat issues. While the working groups are voluntary and informal, they provide a critically important forum for maintaining a dialogue with key stakeholders, getting their feedback and guidance, and identifying issues and concerns. Input from the working groups has directly resulted in accommodations to avoid important marine habitat, fishing grounds, and marine commerce routes in the designation of the wind energy lease areas. The working groups will continue to provide valuable advice as leaseholders proceed through the next phases of the BOEM wind energy commercial leasing process, including site assessments, environmental and technical reviews, and development of construction and operations plans.
Working group meetings are open to the public. To receive information about upcoming meetings, please email hollie.e.emery@mass.gov and ask to be added to the Fisheries Working Group mailing list.
Participants
The Fisheries Working Group on Offshore Wind Energy is comprised of commercial fishermen and representatives from different ports and sectors, recreational fishermen, scientists, and state and federal agencies. Past and present participants have included commercial and recreational fisherman based in Massachusetts ports including Boston, Gloucester, Provincetown, Scituate, and New Bedford, and representatives of the following organizations and government agencies:
Organizations
- Cape Cod Charter Boat Association
- Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance
- Coonamesett Farm Foundation
- Fisheries Survival Fund
- Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association
- Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust
- Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Partnership
- Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant
- Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association
- New England Fisheries Management Council
- Northeast Seafood Coalition
- Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems
- Recreational Fishing Alliance
- Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative
- RENEW Northeast, Inc.
- Responsible Offshore Development Alliance
- Responsible Offshore Science Alliance
- UMass School of Marine Science and Technology
Agencies
- Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Office of Renewable Energy Programs
- Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
- Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
- Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
- Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
- New Bedford Port Authority
- NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office
- NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
- NOAA Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
- Office of Coastal Zone Management
- U.S. Coast Guard
Developers and contractors
- Avangrid Renewables
- Equinor
- Invenergy
- JERA NEX bp
- Orsted
- Outer Harbor Consulting
- Sea Risk SolutionsSouthCoast Wind
- Vineyard Offshore
Meetings
Meetings of the Fisheries Working Group on Offshore Wind Energy are generally convened quarterly. To receive information about upcoming meetings, please email czm@mass.gov and ask to be added to the Fisheries Working Group mailing list.
Next meeting
November 16, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Past meetings
Note: If you have trouble accessing or reading these documents, please contact CZM at czm@mass.gov.
October 8, 2026
May 15, 2026
December 12, 2025
November 3, 2025
June 27, 2025
February 14, 2025
October 18, 2024
September 27, 2024
July 19, 2024
May 10, 2024
February 9, 2024
January 26, 2024
- Agenda: Special meeting with Vineyard Wind 1 on fisheries mitigation program process.
- Program Description (PDF)