Latest News

US proposes offshore wind auctions off Oregon and Maine coasts

The Biden administration on Tuesday revealed a plan to offer overseas wind leases in waters off the coasts of Maine and Oregon later this year, stating tasks in those regions might one day power an overall of 6 million homes.

The proposed sales belong to a five-year schedule of offshore wind auctions the Interior Department outlined last week. Putting wind turbines along every U.S. coastline is a. cornerstone of President Joe Biden's program to decarbonize the. electricity grid and combat climate modification.

In a statement, Interior said it was proposing to provide. eight leases in the Gulf of Maine at an auction later on this year,. the very first such sale in those waters. The leases, covering almost. 1 million acres (404,680 hectares) integrated, would be along the. coasts of Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. They would. support tasks that could one day power more than 5 million. homes.

In Oregon, the agency is proposing to sell two lease locations. of nearly 195,000 acres (78,910 hectares) in total. Projects. there would have the prospective to power more than 1 million. homes.

Fishing interests in both Oregon and Maine have actually voiced. opposition to offshore wind advancement due to concerns about. the market's effect on the industry.

Interior said it had actually sought to avoid fishing grounds and. transit routes in identifying the locations to lease.

Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is looking for. public comment on the proposals, which would be completed in. September. The sales are anticipated to take place in October,. according to a document from the company.

(source: Reuters)