Interior Department will hold an offshore wind lease sale for the Gulf of Mexico
The Department of the Interior will hold an offshore wind energy lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico, the first-ever for that region.
The lease sale includes a 102,480-acre area offshore Lake Charles, Louisiana, as well two areas offshore Galveston, Texas – one comprising 102,480 acres and the other 96,786 acres.
The Final Sale Notice (FSN), which will publish in the Federal Register on July 21, provides detailed information about the final lease areas, lease provisions and conditions, as well as auction details. Further, it identifies qualified companies who can participate in the lease auction.
“Today’s announcement marks another historic step in the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to create a clean energy future. By catalyzing the offshore wind energy potential of the Gulf of Mexico, we can tackle the climate crisis, lower energy costs for families and create good-paying jobs,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said.
This lease sale advances the Biden-Harris administration’s work to deploy 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy by 2030 and reach a carbon-free electricity sector by 2035.
“The Gulf of Mexico is poised to play a key role in our nation’s transition to a clean energy future,” Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Elizabeth Klein said. “Today’s announcement follows years of engagement with government agencies, states, ocean users, and stakeholders in the Gulf of Mexico region. We look forward to continued collaboration in the years to come.”
The BOEM will auction off the areas on Aug. 29. These areas have the potential to generate approximately 3.7 GW and power almost 1.3 million homes with clean, renewable energy.
Josh Kaplowitz, vice president for Offshore Wind at the American Clean Power Association (ACP) applauded the initiative.
“The region is eager to get involved in the offshore wind game, as evidenced by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards’ ambitious goal of deploying 5 GW of offshore wind by 2035. The Gulf presents a unique opportunity for offshore wind development, which can harness the offshore oil and gas supply chain and expert workforce that has developed in Texas and Louisiana over the past century and build on the region’s important energy-producing legacy,” Kaplowitz said.
