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Lease areas have potential to energy over 4.5 million properties
WASHINGTON — The Division of the Inside at the moment introduced it should maintain an offshore wind power lease sale on Oct. 29, 2024, for eight areas on the Outer Continental Shelf off Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. If absolutely developed, these areas have a possible capability of roughly 13 gigawatts of fresh offshore wind power, which may energy greater than 4.5 million properties. The announcement follows the Division’s current announcement that it has authorised greater than 15 gigawatts of fresh power from offshore wind tasks for the reason that begin of the Biden-Harris administration— equal to half of the capability wanted to realize President Biden’s objective of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030.
Because the begin of the Biden–Harris administration, the Division has held 5 offshore wind lease gross sales, together with a record-breaking sale offshore New York and gross sales offshore the Pacific, Central Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico, and authorised 10 commercial-scale offshore wind tasks. Earlier this 12 months, Secretary Haaland introduced a schedule of potential extra lease gross sales by means of 2028.
“The growing enthusiasm for the clean energy future is infectious. Today’s announcement — which builds on the execution of the nation’s first floating offshore wind energy research lease in Maine last month — is the result of years of thoughtful coordination between our team, the Gulf of Maine states, industry and the Tribes and ocean users who share our interest in the health and longevity of our ocean,” stated Secretary Deb Haaland. “The Biden-Harris administration’s unwavering commitment to building a vibrant and sustainable offshore clean energy sector is strengthening our fight against the climate crisis and building a healthier, more resilient planet for generations to come.”
“The upcoming Gulf of Maine offshore wind energy auction reflects our all-of-government approach for reaching the Biden-Harris Administration’s energy goals while combatting the climate crisis,” stated BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “Together, we can do our part to facilitate a new American industry while fostering job growth and promoting equitable economic opportunities for all communities.”
The President’s Investing in America agenda is rising the American financial system from the center out and backside up – from rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, to driving over half a trillion {dollars} in new personal sector manufacturing and clear power investments in the USA, to creating good-paying jobs and constructing a clear power financial system that can fight the local weather disaster and make our communities extra resilient.
Immediately’s announcement is constructed upon the very best obtainable science, together with the Nationwide Facilities for Coastal Ocean Science’s ecosystem-based spatial suitability mannequin, in addition to over two
years of in depth engagement with Tribes, fishing pursuits, and stakeholders throughout the area. Data gained by means of this engagement, together with public feedback, was instrumental in figuring out the ultimate location, dimension and form of the eight lease areas.
The world included within the Closing Sale Discover (FSN) is roughly 120,000 acres lower than what the Bureau of Ocean Vitality Administration (BOEM) included in its Proposed Sale Discover, which was introduced earlier this 12 months. BOEM prioritized the avoidance of offshore fishing grounds, delicate habitats, and current and future vessel transit routes, whereas nonetheless retaining enough acreage to help the area’s offshore wind power targets.
The FSN for the Gulf of Maine public sale consists of particulars relating to the public sale, provisions, and circumstances of the leases, the lease kind, data on bidding credit, standards for evaluating competing bids, award procedures, enchantment procedures, and lease execution. The FSN consists of a number of lease stipulations designed to advertise the event of a strong home U.S. provide chain for floating wind and create good-paying union jobs, advance flexibility in transmission planning, decrease habitat impacts, and acquire information on protected marine mammals. The FSN will publish within the Federal Register on September 17, 2024.
The issuance of any lease ensuing from this sale doesn’t authorize the development and operations of an offshore wind facility. A lease offers the proper to submit project-specific plans. Such plans, if submitted, could be topic to environmental, technical, and public evaluations previous to a call on whether or not the venture proposals needs to be authorised.
Particulars on the FSN, together with a map of the lease areas could be discovered on the BOEM’s web site.
Courtesy of US Division of the Inside.
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