The following is an edited version of a letter sent to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy, Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) from state senator Dan Wolf (D-Cape & Islands) and state representative Timothy Madden (D-Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket)

Thank you for your deci sion to extend the Request for Interest comment deadline to adequately address outstanding issues relative to offshore energy development. In light of the potentially landmark developments we are considering, it is imperative that as much information as possible is available so the best informed decisions can be made.

As elected officials representing Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and the Elizabeth Islands, we would like to bring the following items to the Departments attention. First, we request that working in conjunction with the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Task Force, criteria be included in the RFI lease process that gives additional consideration to community-owned projects in the development plan. We would request that BOEMRE adapt a multifactored approach when considering competitive lease applications. We believe it is important that extra consideration be given to projects which opt to work with local communities and especially locally-owned projects, and that mitigation to host communities, both during construction as well as in the long term after projects are up and running, be given very special attention. As we are sure you are well aware, receiving financing for any offshore wind project is incredibly difficult and can in many ways exclude small local projects. We believe that for any offshore project to be successful it must have the support of the impacted community. This could be achieved by having a larger commercial project partner with a smaller local project or by requiring that any areas designated for development must include certain acreage for a community project to be built or a percentage of the produced power must benefit the community. The Massachusetts Ocean Plan includes a community carve-out for offshore wind and we believe any federal plan should do the same.

Second, we echo the sentiments of our federal colleagues in asking for additional consultation between BOEMRE and the newly formed Massachusetts Fishermen’s Working Group. The potential impacts of any offshore project on the fishing industry need to be fully considered and vetted. Working with the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Working Group to develop appropriate guidelines that will not negatively impact their livelihoods is essential to a successful project. Specifically, the issue of underwater cables connecting projects to the grid must be addressed, possibly by burying the cables so that their existence in no way affects the ability of fishermen to continue to work. Also, the issue of mitigation during construction for fishermen needs to be addressed as they will not be allowed to fish in these areas during construction time.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this important matter and for respecting the needs of our communities and impacted groups.