The US Department of the Interior (DOI) will hold a offshore wind energy lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico as part of the government’s effort to build 30GW of offshore wind energy by 2030.
Auctions will be conducted by the DOI’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in August 2023.
The lease area is reputed to have the potential to generate around 3.7GW of clean energy, enough to meet the needs of 1.3 million US households.
DOI Secretary Deb Haaland stated: “Today’s announcement marks another historic step in the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to create a clean energy future.
“By catalysing 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.”
The sale will include three lease areas, one off the coast of Lake Charles, Louisiana, covering 102,480 acres, and two off the coast of Galveston, Texas, one covering 102,480 acres and the other 96,786 acres.
A sale document released by the department has enlisted 16 companies including Avangrid Renewables, Coastal Offshore, energyRe, Equinor Wind, 547 Energy, Invenergy, Mainstream Renewable Power, RWE, Shell and TotalEnergies. All are legally, technically and financially qualified to participate in the lease.
BOEM director Elizabeth Klein stated: “The Gulf of Mexico is poised to play a key role in our nation’s transition to a clean energy future.
“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.”
Earlier in July 2023, the BOEM approved Ørsted’s 1.1GW Ocean Wind 1 offshore wind farm, to be located 15 miles (24km) off the coast of southern New Jersey.
The farm will power 380,000 US homes while creating 3,000 jobs during its development and construction phases.
