The US Department of the Interior (DOI) has unveiled a proposal to conduct a second offshore wind auction in the Gulf of Mexico, offering four seabed rights to wind lease areas simultaneously. The Biden administration aims to offer four areas totaling 410,060 acres (165,945 hectares) off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas.
These areas, part of wider zones designated suitable for offshore wind deployment last October, could potentially host wind turbines generating electricity for approximately 1.2 million homes annually.
The proposal will undergo a 60-day public comment period, after which the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will decide whether to proceed with the auction. BOEM will consider comments regarding the size, location, and orientation of the lease areas, including potential revisions to include hydrogen production.
DOI Secretary Deb Haaland stated, “Today's announcement is another step forward in the Biden-Harris administration's pursuit of building a clean energy future and permitting 30 GW of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030.”
Last year, BOEM conducted the first offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico, won by RWE Offshore US Gulf LLC with a high bid of USD 5.6 million (EUR 5.1m) for the 102,480-acre Lake Charles Lease Area off Louisiana.
