Incidental Take Authorization: Revolution Wind, LLC Construction of the Revolution Wind Energy Facility Off of Rhode Island

NOAA Fisheries has modified a Letter of Authorization issued to Revolution Wind for the take of marine mammals incidental to activities associated with construction of the Revolution Wind Offshore Wind Energy Project (hereafter known as the “Project”) in Federal and State waters offshore Rhode Island. Specifically, NOAA Fisheries has removed the requirement that each real-time passive acoustic monitoring data stream must be monitored by separate PAM operators. NOAA Fisheries has determined that this modification to the aforementioned monitoring requirement does not change the findings made for the regulations and does not result in any change in the total estimated number of takes of marine mammals

NOAA Fisheries promulgates regulations to govern the incidental taking of marine mammals incidental to Revolution Wind, LLC’s, a subsidiary wholly owned by Orsted Wind Power North America, LLC, construction of the Revolution Wind Offshore Wind Energy Project in Federal and State waters offshore Rhode Island, specifically 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-0486 and along two export cable routes to sea-to-shore transition points, over the course of 5 years (November 20, 2023 through November 19, 2028).

These regulations, which allow for the issuance of a Letter of Authorization for the incidental take of marine mammals during construction-related activities within the Project Area during the effective dates of the regulations, prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat, as well as requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking.