Avangrid Renewables and Invenergy NE Offshore Wind have won two lease areas each in the Gulf of Maine for almost $22m in a US government-run offshore wind lease sale led by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
This is the sixth offshore wind lease sale under the Biden-Harris administration and the first commercial sale for floating offshore wind on the Atlantic coast.
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Avangrid secured two leases: OCS-564 covering 98,565 acres for $4.9m, and OCS-568 spanning 124,897 acres for $6.2m.
Invenergy won the OCS-562 lease covering 97,854 acres for $4.9m and the OCS-567 lease spanning 117,780 acres for $5.9m. OCS-562 is located 46.2nm from Maine, while OCS-567 lies 21.6 nautical miles from Massachusetts.
The leased areas have the potential to supply 2.3 million homes with clean energy.
The lease sale is a step toward achieving the US President’s goal of 30GW of offshore wind energy by 2030 and 15GW of floating offshore wind by 2035.
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By GlobalDataSecretary of the Interior Deb Haaland stated: “Today’s successful auction marks yet another critical step in our fight against climate change. Together, we can create good-paying jobs, build a domestic supply chain and ensure that the momentum of this offshore industry continues for generations to come.”
The sale generated more than $5.4m in bidding credits, with $2.7m earmarked for workforce training and domestic supply chain improvements, and a further $2.7m allocated for fisheries compensation.
The awarded leases do not permit the construction or operation of offshore wind facilities but allow the right to submit a project plan for BOEM’s review.
An environmental impact statement will be developed in each case to assess the impacts of project proposals.
BOEM director Elizabeth Klein stated: “To ensure we got the process of bringing offshore wind to the Gulf of Maine right, we’ve engaged in over a hundred outreach efforts with local communities and connected with thousands of partners and stakeholders.
“Collaboration with partners and stakeholders is key to making progress. By working closely with states, Tribes, ocean users and industry leaders, we are building a sustainable new industry that will meet our nation’s current and future energy needs.”
In August 2024, the Biden Administration announced the auction of two offshore areas totalling 194,995 acres, along the Oregon coast. The announcement followed an earlier leasing round during the same month for 6.3GW of offshore wind sites in the central Atlantic, which generated $93m for the government.
