Offshore wind meeting provokes public outcry

Members of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management came to Coos Bay ready share information about the potential leasing of “wind energy areas” offshore Coos and Curry Counties.

Members of the community also came to listen and share their opinions about the project. But many of them expressed concern with the format of the public meeting on Sept. 27.

“We're wanting you to hear us, and apparently you're not hearing us. We want a chance to protest this project. We want to be heard,” one women said during the meeting.

“We want our voices heard for our communities right here, right now,” another audience member said.

The local area under consideration for future wind energy development covers almost 200,000 acres offshore Southern Oregon with their closest points ranging from about 18 to 32 miles off the coast, according to a press release from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

The BOEM manages nearly 2.5 billion acres of offshore energy and mineral resources in federal waters.

The Draft Wind Energy Area public meeting attracted a packed-house at the Coos Bay Library, filling the meeting room to capacity during the early portion of the open house. A line of people formed outside the library as more community members waited to get in.

A small group of protestors also formed along the streets, holding “No Windmills” signs.

Inside the open house, members of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, were ready to provide brief opening remarks, introduce staff to the audience and encourage participants to go to a series of different information stations.

Participants at the open house at the Coos Bay Public Library were encouraged to meander and chat with governmental representatives at different stations. The stations were set up for small-group and one on one discussions about state ocean energy and climate policies, fishing data, natural resources studies and visual simulations.

One station was set up for public comments.

But community members inside the packed meeting room raised concerns. They wanted the opportunity to record public comments in front of the entire audience.

“Listen. You work for us. Remember that, all of you work for us and you're not letting us listen to what others want to say,” a meeting participant said.

“We're concerned what you're doing to our coastlines and to our communities. We're concerned what you're doing to our businesses,” another member of the public said.

“Part of the problem is that we all want to voice our opinion. I don't know how else to put it. There's a lot of information that a lot of individuals have that other people don't know about.”

BOEM meeting representatives said while they understood the public’s concerns, the meeting they had prepared for was not set up for it.

BOEM public spokesperson John Romero said the governmental organization held the public meeting in an effort to be transparent.

“We had a lot of stakeholder input saying that our process needed to be a bit more transparent. They wanted to know how we came about identifying areas for potential leasing,” he said.

The BOEM representative said they responded by teaming up with governmental partners to provide the public with information about how they designate potential wind development areas, and potential next steps in the process.

Romero said the leasing of potential wind energy areas is a preliminary stage for future development.

“There are no projects under review. There are no project proposals. What we are strictly doing here is trying to identify areas that might be suitable for future leasing,” he said.

The BOEM is accepting public comments regarding the lease of wind energy areas off Coos and Curry Counties received or postmarked no later than Oct. 16.

Comments can be made online at regulations.gov using docket number BOEM-2022-0033.

Comments can be made in writing to: “Comments on Oregon Draft WEAs” Renewable Energy Section, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 760 Paseo Camarillo Suite 102, Camarillo CA 93010.

For more information about BOEM’s Renewable Energy Program, visit www.boem.gov/renewable-energy.