The U.S. government has taken a significant step towards expanding offshore wind energy capacity by selecting nearly $22 million in winning bids for four lease areas off New England. This marks the first commercial sale for floating offshore wind on the Atlantic coast and aligns with President Joe Biden's goal of boosting offshore wind energy by 2030.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management conducted the lease sale, awarding two firms with leases in the Gulf of Maine, a crucial fishing ground for the U.S. lobster industry. While environmentalists welcomed the lease sale as a move towards combating climate change, commercial fishermen expressed opposition to the expansion of offshore wind in the region.
The leased areas, totaling more than 625 square miles, have the potential to power over 2.3 million homes, according to the Interior Department. Avangrid Renewables secured two leases for areas approximately 35 miles from Massachusetts, while Invenergy NE Offshore Wind obtained two leases for areas around 25 miles from Massachusetts.
Avangrid highlighted that the leased areas will facilitate the advancement of floating wind technology, crucial for offshore wind development in deep waters. The company, in partnership with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, is also involved in the Vineyard Wind project, a wind farm under construction off the coast of Massachusetts.
Despite the positive reception from environmental and renewable energy groups, the Maine Lobstermen's Association criticized the lease sale, viewing it as a threat to the marine ecosystem. The association argued that no part of the Gulf of Maine is suitable for offshore wind development.
While a floating offshore wind sale off Oregon was postponed due to lack of bidder interest and opposition, the lease sale in the Gulf of Maine signifies progress in the clean energy transition and efforts to reduce climate-damaging emissions in the region.
