Incidental Take Authorization: Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, LLC Construction of the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Energy Projects

NOAA Fisheries has received a request from Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind LLC, a joint venture between EDF-RE Offshore Development LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of EDF Renewables, Inc.) and Shell New Energies US LLC, for Incidental Take Regulations and associated Letters of Authorization. The requested regulations would govern the authorization of take, by Level A harassment and Level B harassment, of small numbers of marine mammals over the course of 5 years (2025 - 2029) incidental to the construction of Atlantic Shores South located offshore of New Jersey within the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf Lease Area OCS-A 0499 and associated ECCs. Atlantic Shores South would be divided into two projects: Project 1 and Project 2 (the combined hereafter referred to as the “Project Area”) and Atlantic Shores has requested a 5-year LOA for each Project, both issued under these proposed regulations. Atlantic Shores’ activities likely to result in incidental take include impact and vibratory pile driving and site assessment surveys using high-resolution geophysical equipment within the Lease Area and Export Cable Corridor.