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bay--killing birds and sea life. Researchers at MMA found that birds have avoided the wind turbine?s airspace during operation, and bird mortality rates in that airspace are low at 2 to 3 a year. Students and faculty continue to assess impacts on birds, especially terns. Gurnon said the academy?s wind investment gives students skills that can be used in renewable energy careers. BOEM TO HOLD OFFSHORE WIND AREA AUCTIONS IN 2013Separately, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) have taken steps to promote offshore wind, Hansen?s Frongillo noted. On Oct. 31, BOEM requested public comment on an environmental assessment for a Wind Energy Area on the Outer Continental Shelf in Massachusetts. BOEM will auction off area for harnessing wind off the East Coast, probably in  rst quarter 2013. The designated Rhode Island-Massachusetts wind energy area is 164,750 acres south of Martha?s Vineyard and east of Block Island. Developers interested in that section include Deepwater Wind, Energy Management Inc., enXco, Fishermen?s Energy, Iberdrola Renewables, Mainstream Renewable Power, Neptune Wind and U.S. Wind. The Virginia wind energy area is 112,799 acres, located east of Virginia Beach. Developers setting their sights there include Apex, Arcadia, Cirrus Wind Energy, Dominion Virginia Power, enXco, Fishermen?s Energy, Iberdrola and Orisol Energy. In late 2010, BOEM launched a Smart from the Start imitative for offshore wind. Under that program, turbine projects are to be situated so that their impacts on migratory birds, marine species and archaeological sites are minimized. CONSTRUCTION OF OFFSHORE U.S. T URBINES MAY START NEXT YEAREnvironmental Management Inc., developers of Cape Wind, has secured permits for a proposed $2.6 billion, 130-turbine project in Nantucket Sound. Construction is slated to start next year but the project faces opposition from environmentalists. If it?s built, the Cape offshore wind farm would be one of the largest in the world.Fishermen?s Energy hopes to erect a six-turbine farm off Atlantic City, New Jersey, with construction likely to start next year. And in Rhode Island, Deepwater Wind wants to build a  ve-turbine farm three miles off Block Island. Deepwater Wind has also proposed another three Tripod for offshore wind turbine in the port of Bremerhaven, Germany 24 MNDecember 2012