Image: BOEM
Following up on an announcement made again in October final 12 months, the U.S. Department of the Interior right now issued a discover proposing the first-ever U.S. Gulf of Mexico offshore wind lease sale.
The proposed sale is a part of the leasing path introduced by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland in 2021 to fulfill the Biden administration’s objective of deploying 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind vitality capability by 2030 and follows the Department’s approval of the nation’s first two business scale offshore wind tasks.
“BOEM is committed to ensuring any offshore wind activities are done in a manner that avoids or minimizes potential impacts to the ocean and ocean users,” stated Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Elizabeth Klein. “Today’s announcement comes after years of engagement with tribes, other government agencies, ocean users and stakeholders, and this proposed sale notice provides another opportunity for them to weigh in on potential offshore wind leasing in the Gulf of Mexico.”
NOIA COMMENT
The Gulf of Mexico offshore wind lease sale announcement was welcomed by the National Ocean Industries Association.
NOIA president Erik Milito launched the next assertion:
“The announcement by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management of the Proposed Sale Notice for the primary Gulf of Mexico offshore wind lease sale is a vital step within the build-out of the U.S. offshore wind sector. Decades of innovation and expertise has enabled the Gulf of Mexico to turn out to be a premier offshore vitality area, together with being a frontrunner in low carbon oil and fuel manufacturing. Through offshore wind, together with common and predictable offshore oil and fuel leasing, the U.S. Gulf of Mexico can increase its outstanding and irreplaceable vitality portfolio. The vitality, jobs, and funding alternatives from Gulf of Mexico offshore wind will probably be additive to the unimaginable advantages the offshore oil and fuel sector gives our nation.
“The Gulf of Mexico is a true energy hub and there is already an amazing synergy between offshore oil and gas and offshore wind. NOIA members companies have been instrumental in the development and construction of offshore oil and gas projects and offshore wind projects. Now many Gulf Coast companies will have a chance to build new wind projects closer to home. The American offshore energy sector benefits for Americans of all walks of life and this relationship will strengthen with new offshore wind opportunities. We are excited for the offshore wind opportunity in the Gulf of Mexico.”
SITES OFFSHORE LAKE CHARLES AND GALVESTON
The Proposed Sale Notice (PSN) announced today features a 102,480-acre space offshore Lake Charles, Louisiana, and two areas offshore Galveston, Texas, one comprising 102,480 acres and the opposite comprising 96,786 acres.
BOEM is looking for public feedback on which, if any, of the 2 lease areas offshore Galveston needs to be provided within the Final Sale Notice. These areas have the potential to energy nearly 1.3 million properties with clear vitality.
BOEM can also be looking for suggestions on a number of lease stipulations that might reaffirm its dedication to create good-paying jobs and interact with ocean customers and different stakeholders. Some of those potential stipulations embrace:
- Bidding credit to bidders that decide to supporting workforce coaching applications for the offshore wind trade, creating a home provide chain for the offshore wind trade, or a mixture of each.
- Establishing and contributing to a fisheries compensatory mitigation fund or contributing to an current fund to mitigate potential destructive impacts to business and for-hire leisure fisheries attributable to offshore wind growth within the Gulf of Mexico.
- Requiring that lessees present a daily progress report summarizing engagement with Tribes and ocean customers doubtlessly affected by proposed offshore wind actions.
The Gulf of Mexico offshore wind lease sale PSN will publish within the Federal Register later this month and initiates a 60-day public remark interval. If the Department decides to proceed with the sale, BOEM will publish a Final Sale Notice at the very least 30 days forward of the sale, which might announce the time and date of the lease sale and the businesses certified to take part in it.
- More at BOEM’s Gulf of Mexico Activities webpage.
