Partnering with WREN, questionnaires are sent to offshore wind energy developers around the world who are involved in environmental monitoring. This page provides contextual project information and highlights environmental monitoring, providing links to available data and reports. Content is updated annually.

Bluepoint Wind

Description

Bluepoint Wind is an offshore wind partnership between Ocean Winds (OW) and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) in the early stages of development. It is located off the coast of New Jersey and New York. Bluepoint Wind’s goal is to responsibly develop an offshore wind farm with an installed capacity of 1,700 MW which would be capable of powering up to 900,000 homes. 

Location

Bluepoint Wind will be located 70 km off the New York coast and 98 km off the New Jersey coast and will consist of a lease area of 289 square km. 

Licensing Information

  • February 2023: Incidental Take Authorization from NOAA for Marine Site Characterization Surveys off New York and New Jersey in the New York Bight 

Project Timeline

  • November 2022: Bluepoint Wind Submitted its Fisheries Communications Plan (FCP) 

  • September 2022: Ocean Wind East Announces Name of New York Bight Project as Bluepoint Wind 

  • February 2022: Ocean Wind East Awarded Lease Area in New York Bight Offshore Wind Energy Auction 

 

Metadata Documents

Environmental Monitoring: Bluepoint Wind

Phase Stressor & Receptor Design and Methods Results Publications Data
Baseline Physical Environment Geophysical Surveys 
Multiple vessels will conduct geophysical surveys in the Bluepoint Wind lease area starting in March 2023 through September 2023. Geophysical surveys will be used to characterize the seafloor and sub-bottom features using acoustic and magnetic technologies that use sound to chart the seabed, sub-seabed, and magnetic anomalies.  		Complete 
Data collected indicated that the area surveyed were composed of soft-bottom substrata that were predominately firm sands and occupied by diverse benthic biotic communities. The primary biotic community was Echinocardium bed. No sensitive habitats were observed. 

No data publicly available 
Baseline Physical Environment Benthic Surveys 
From June to August 2017, NYSERDA conducted multibeam echosounder and benthic (sediment profile imaging/plan view) surveys on the NY Bight.  		Complete 
Most prevalent bedforms observed across the survey area were sand waves, sand bars, and ripples. Surface sediments were generally firm, fine, and medium sands.   		Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) 2021, INSPIRE Environmental 2017

No data publicly available 
Baseline Physical Environment Site characterization surveys, high-resolution geophysical surveys 
Surveys would likely begin within one year following the execution of the lease and continue on an intermittent basis for the following five years leading up to the preparation and submittal of the construction and operations plan. Would survey the entire proposed lease area during the five-year site assessment term to collect required geophysical and geotechnical information for siting of commercial facilities. Sub-bottom sampling at every potential wind turbine location.  		Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) 2021

No data publicly available 
Baseline Birds Avian surveys 
To conduct visual avian surveys from a boat on a monthly basis for two to three years. Plane-based aerial avian surveys to be conducted two days per month for two to three years.   		Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) 2021

No data publicly available 
Baseline Bats Bat survey 
Ultrasonic detectors installed on survey vessels will be used for biological surveys.  		Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) 2021

No data publicly available 
Baseline Fish, Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles Maine fauna surveys 
Plane-based and/or vessel surveys will be conducted possible concurrent with other biological surveys but not concurrent with any geophysical or geotechnical survey work. Two years of surveys will be conducted to cover spatial, temporal, and inter-annual variance in the area of potential effect.  		Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) 2021

No data publicly available