Coalition Urges OMB to Reject BOEM's Retroactive Expansion of Offshore Wind Oversight Costs

The Save Right Whales Coalition (SRWC) today submitted formal comments to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) calling for disapproval of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) proposed major increase in the estimated time and money developers must spend to comply with offshore wind project oversight under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA).

For years, BOEM publicly reported that the annual compliance requirements—including monitoring, surveys, vessel operations, and reporting—for regulating offshore wind development were relatively modest (around $1.9 million in non-labor costs). These estimates stayed the same even as BOEM approved major project plans as early as 2021 and allowed large-scale offshore construction to begin on multiple projects in 2023.

In 2025, BOEM proposed revisions that finally acknowledged the true scale: compliance now requires over 81,000 hours of effort and more than $43 million annually in expenses—mostly tied to ongoing oversight of projects already under construction.

"BOEM's long-delayed recognition of these dramatically higher compliance costs raises serious concerns about transparency in the offshore wind program," said Lisa Linowes, Executive Director of SRWC. "The public and stakeholders were led to believe the regulatory demands on developers were limited, when in fact they escalated sharply as projects advanced. Accurate information about these costs is essential for meaningful public discussion and informed agency decisionmaking—particularly when the immense industrialization of ocean habitat threatens fragile marine ecosystems, including the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. Moreover, BOEM's failure to obtain proper authorization for these expanded requirements before enforcing them could undermine the agency's ability to ensure full compliance with critical environmental protections."

SRWC's comments point out inconsistencies in BOEM's submissions, such as descriptions that appear to minimize construction-related expenses as routine planning activities. The filing urges OMB to reject the proposed increase until BOEM provides a clear, verifiable explanation of how the earlier estimates were determined and why they went unchanged for so long.

With recent Department of the Interior directives pausing major offshore wind projects for review, SRWC views this as an important opportunity for OMB to insist on full compliance with federal requirements for openness and accuracy.

SRWC remains committed to advocating for responsible ocean energy policies that prioritize the protection of marine life.

Save Right Whales Coalition is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale from threats associated with offshore wind development and other industrial activities. Through science-based advocacy, SRWC works to promote transparent and accountable decision-making in ocean policy. For more information, visit [www.saverightwhales.org] or contact info@saverightwhales.org.