Offshore staff
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) aims to hold up to seven new offshore wind lease sales by 2025 in the Gulf of Maine, New York Bight, Central Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico, as well as offshore the Carolinas, California, and Oregon.
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland revealed the plans at the American Clean Power’s Offshore WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition in Boston.
BOEM is working on refining its process for identifying additional wind energy areas. The bureau is said to be developing goals, objectives, and guidelines that can be shared with government agencies, tribes, industry, ocean users, and others prior to identifying such areas.
“We are working to facilitate a pipeline of projects that will establish confidence for the offshore wind industry,” said BOEM Director Amanda Lefton. “At the same time, we want to reduce potential conflicts as much as we can while meeting the administration’s goal to deploy 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030. This means we will engage early and often with all stakeholders prior to identifying any new wind energy areas.”
Earlier this year, BOEM completed its review of a construction and operations plan (COP) for the Vineyard Wind 1 project. It is currently reviewing nine additional COPs with plans to complete the review of at least another six by 2025, for a total of at least 16 COP reviews representing more than 19 GW of wind energy.
National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Erik Milito welcomed the offshore wind lease sale announcement.
“A successful American offshore wind future needs clarity around the leasing schedule and Interior’s outline of potential wind lease sales through 2025 helps provide that. Providing a reliable and predictable road map of offshore wind opportunities will help boost critical investments into the supply chain, ports, and workers,” he said. “NOIA applauds Interior for helping to provide greater clarity as to where and when future offshore wind leases may be held.”
10/14/2021
