As a part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to promote American leadership in renewable energy, and coupled with the Interior’s “Smart from the Start” wind energy initiative for the Atlantic Coast, the Interior has announced the Nation’s largest offshore wind energy area available for commercial development. The Interior and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced on 06/17/14 that more than 742,000 acres offshore Massachusetts will be available for commercial wind energy leasing. By far, this proposed area is the largest in federal waters and will nearly double the federal offshore acreage available for commercial wind energy projects.
The proposed Wind Energy Area is located approximately 12 miles offshore Massachusetts. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) proposes to auction the Wind Energy Area as four leases. The proposed sale notice triggered a 60-day public comment period ending on August 18, 2014. The end of the comment period also serves as the deadline for any participating companies to submit their qualification packages. To be eligible to participate in the lease sale, the BOEM must first determine that the bidder is legally, technically and financially qualified before the Final Sale Notice is published. The BOEM strongly encourages potential bidders to submit a qualification package as early as possible during the comment period to ensure adequate time for processing.
The Gulf Region will see new lease developments as well. The Gulf Region is preparing for several sales in the Gulf of Mexico occurring in the years 2014-2017 under the Five Year Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. Lease Sale 238, covering the Western Gulf of Mexico, is set for August 2014. This will be followed by Lease Sale 235, covering the Central Gulf of Mexico, and Lease Sale 246, covering the Western Gulf of Mexico in 2015.
Krystin Frazier
