The Department of Energy (DOE), through its Wind and Water Power Technologies Office (WWPTO), proposed to provide federal funding to Florida Atlantic University’s South-East National Marine Renewable Energy Center (FAU SNMREC) to support the at sea testing of FAU SNMREC’s experimental current generation turbine and the deployment and operation of their Small-Scale Ocean Current Turbine Test Berth, sited on the outer continental shelf (OCS) in waters off the coast of Ft Lauderdale, Florida. SNMREC proposed to demonstrate the test berth site readiness by testing their pilot-scale experimental ocean current turbine unit at that location.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) conducted an Environmental Assessment that analyzed the impacts associated with leasing OCS lands to FAU SNMREC, per their jurisdictional responsibilities under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. DOE was a cooperating agency in this process and based on the EA, issued a Finding of No Significant Impact.