The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) plans to auction off four new wind energy areas in the Gulf of Mexico as part of the government’s initiative to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030.
In late August, the first-ever offshore wind auction in the Gulf of Mexico ended with a single winner, after German utility giant RWE scooped the Lake Charles lease in Louisiana with a $5.6 million offer.
“Creating an offshore wind industry in the Gulf of Mexico will take time and partnership. BOEM is pursuing another offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico due to continued industry interest and feedback,” said BOEM director Elizabeth Klein.
The four wind energy areas are located in Texas and Louisiana and together cover approximately 763,300 acres.
These include the 495,567-acre Option J area, the 119,635-acre Option K area and the 91,157-acre Option L area off the coast of Texas, and the 56,978-acre Option N area off the coast of Louisiana.
According to BOEM, the four areas together could support offshore wind projects with the potential to produce clean, renewable energy to power more than three million homes.
The next steps in the competitive leasing process include issuing a proposed sale notice with a 60-day public comment period.
Since the start of US President Joe Biden’s Administration, BOEM held four offshore wind lease auctions totalling almost $5.5 billion in high bids, including a record-breaking sale offshore New York.
