The Biden-Harris administration completed its first offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Maine on Tuesday.
Today, we held our first-ever commercial sale for floating offshore wind on the Atlantic Coast. @BOEM's Gulf of Maine lease sale yielded almost $22 million for areas that could power more than 2.3 million homes. The clean energy future is here! https://t.co/cXXSiRHTAE
— Secretary Deb Haaland (@SecDebHaaland) October 29, 2024
This marks the sixth offshore wind lease sale under the current administration and the first commercial sale for floating offshore wind on the Atlantic Coast. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced two provisional winners for four lease areas, resulting in over $21.9 million in winning bids.
⚡ The Gulf of Maine offshore wind lease sale begins at 9:00 a.m. (ET)!
We will share round-by-round results online. 👉 Follow @BOEM on X for real-time updates: https://t.co/zblHsaIXC1
For more details on this lease sale: https://t.co/1jIhyZwUU2
— Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (@BOEM) October 29, 2024
Avangrid Renewables, LLC won two leases for a total of $11.1 million, while Invenergy NE Offshore Wind, LLC secured two leases for a combined $10.6 million. This lease sale is a significant step towards meeting the administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030 and 15 gigawatts of floating offshore wind energy by 2035. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland emphasized the progress made, stating that the United States is moving towards a clean energy future.
Despite coming days before an election that poses an existential threat to the offshore wind industry, a lease auction in the Gulf of Maine today actually went pretty well. https://t.co/90LXSo799x
— Emily Pontecorvo (@emilypont) October 29, 2024
Since taking office, the Biden-Harris administration has approved 10 commercial-scale offshore wind energy projects, increasing from zero at the start of the administration. These projects have the potential to power over 5 million homes with clean energy.
Biden’s Gulf of Maine lease completion
BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein highlighted the importance of collaboration with partners and stakeholders in bringing offshore wind to the Gulf of Maine. The administration has engaged in extensive outreach efforts to ensure the process is done right. The lease sale supports the development of floating offshore wind in deep water sites, and the administration is working to position the United States as a leader in these new technologies.
The sale resulted in over $5.4 million in total bidding credits, representing commitments by companies to invest in workforce training, domestic supply chain development, and fisheries compensatory mitigation. Lease stipulations require lessees to make efforts to enter into project labor agreements, develop communication plans for engagement with Tribes, agencies, and fisheries, and provide semi-annual reports on engagement activities. The leases awarded do not authorize the construction or operation of any offshore wind facilities but provide the right to submit a project plan for BOEM’s review.
BOEM will develop an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the specific impacts of any proposed projects, consulting with Tribes, government agencies, and stakeholders. This process ensures thorough review and input before any decisions on construction and operations are made. More information about the sale, including maps of the lease areas and details on bidding credits and lease stipulations, can be found on the BOEM website.
