NOTE: The next meeting of the Fisheries Working Group on Offshore Wind Energy will be held on May 10 from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at UMass Dartmouth SMAST in New Bedford. Agenda and meeting logistics will be posted here soon.
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.
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
Office of Coastal Zone Management
U.S. Coast Guard
Developers and contractors
Avangrid Renewables
Equinor
Orsted
Outer Harbor Consulting
Sea Risk Solutions
SouthCoast Wind
Vineyard Offshore
Meetings
Meetings of the Fisheries Working Group on Offshore Wind Energy are generally convened at certain benchmark points in the wind energy commercial leasing process.
Next meeting
May 10, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., in person at UMass Dartmouth SMAST in New Bedford
Upcoming meetings
July 19, 2024 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., virtual
October 18,2024 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in person in Gloucester
Past meetings
February 9, 2024
- Agenda (PDF, 68 KB)
- Presentations (PDF, 3.1 MB)
- Meeting Summary (PDF, 223 KB)
January 26, 2023
- Agenda: Special meeting with Vineyard Wind 1 on fisheries mitigation program process.
- Program Description (PDF, 386 KB)
December 15, 2023
- Agenda (PDF, 123 KB)
- Presentations (PDF, 3 MB)
- Meeting Summary (PDF, 159 KB)
September 29, 2023
- Agenda (PDF, 98 KB)
- Presentations - (PDF, 8 MB)
- Meeting Summary - (PDF, 187, KB)
June 23, 2023
- Agenda (PDF, 117 KB)
- Presentations (PDF, 13 MB)
- Meeting Summary (PDF, 170 KB)
March 31, 2023
- Agenda (PDF, 68 KB)
- Presentations (PDF, 13 MB)
- Meeting Summary (PDF, 178 KB)
January 20, 2023
- Agenda (PDF, 107 KB)
- Presentations (PDF, 7 MB)
- Meeting Summary (PDF, 194 KB)
October 14, 2022
- Agenda (PDF, 79 KB)
- Developer Updates (PDF, 4 MB)
- Presentations (PDF, 1 MB)
May 24, 2022
- Agenda (PDF, 72 KB)
- Presentations (PDF, 17 MB)
March 2, 2022
- Agenda (PDF, 199 KB)
- Presentations (PDF, 22 MB)
December 10, 2021
- Agenda (PDF, 159 KB)
- Presentations (PDF, 21 MB)
- Meeting Summary (PDF, 255 KB)
September 23, 2021
- Agenda (PDF, 142 KB)
- Presentations (PDF, 16 MB)
- Meeting Summary (PDF, 213 KB)
June 14, 2021
- Agenda (PDF, 149 KB)
- Presentations (PDF, 18 MB)
- Meeting Summary (PDF, 208 KB)
March 31, 2021
- Agenda (PDF, 115 KB)
- Presentations (PDF, 14 MB)
- Meeting Summary (PDF, 187 KB)
November 22, 2019
- Agenda (PDF, 114 KB)
May 16, 2019
- Agenda (PDF, 91 KB)
March 29, 2019
- Agenda (PDF, 78 KB)
September 20, 2018
- Agenda (PDF, 192 KB)
September 6, 2018
- Agenda (PDF, 193 KB)
June 18, 2018
- Agenda (PDF, 44 KB)
May 7, 2018
- Agenda (PDF, 85 KB)
February 12, 2018
- Agenda (PDF, 78 KB)
May 17, 2017
- Agenda (PDF, 78 KB)
June 28, 2016
- Agenda (PDF, 93 KB)
March 9, 2016
- Agenda (PDF, 80 KB)
November 2, 2015
- Agenda (PDF, 62 KB)
April 30, 2015
- Agenda (PDF, 105 KB)
June 24, 2014
- Agenda (PDF, 112 KB)