Offshore Wind Sale Could Potentially Power Over 2.2m homes

Harnessing the power of offshore wind could go a long way to providing clean energy for our world. Offshore wind, especially in the deeper ocean, tends to be more regular and stronger than onshore and coastal generation, meaning that the power generated is more consistent, and with less downtime. However, it also tends to be more difficult to access for maintenance, and because of the corrosive nature of the sea, that maintenance needs to be accomplished more often. It now seems that many of those drawbacks have been ironed out somewhat and areas of the ocean are being allocated for green power.

The latest of these has just been announced by the US government, which is a proposal of an offshore wind lease sale in the Central Atlantic. The announcement is part of the government’s actions to expand offshore wind opportunities. The proposed lease sale includes one area offshore of Delaware and Maryland, and one area offshore of Virginia. Lease Area A-2 is 101,443 acres in size and is roughly 26.4 nautical miles (nm) from Delaware Bay. Lease Area C-1 is 176,505 acres and is 35 nm from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), part of the Department of the Interior, is now seeking public comments on which, if any, of the two lease areas should be part of a lease sale in 2024. The Proposed Sale Notice, which will publish in the Federal Register, starts a 60-day public comment period and provides information about the areas available for leasing, lease provisions and conditions, auction details, criteria for evaluating competing bids and procedures for lease award, appeals and lease execution. BOEM has partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science to develop a comprehensive, ecosystem-based ocean planning model.

A third area, WEA B-1, which is located approximately 23.5 nm offshore Ocean City, MD was originally part of the proposal, but has currently been removed due to the significant costs and mitigation that would be required. However, the area may be considered as part of a potential second lease sale in the Central Atlantic, which could happen as soon as 2025.

The Department of the Interior has previously held four offshore wind lease auctions during this Administration, which have brought in nearly $5.5 billion in high bids, including offshore New York and New Jersey and offshore Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts. BOEM has also advanced the process to explore additional opportunities for offshore wind energy development in the U.S., including in the Gulf of Maine and offshore Oregon.