New Gulf of Mexico Wind Energy Areas Could Support Projects With Potential to Power 3 Million Homes

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has finalized four new Wind Energy Areas in the Gulf of Mexico, which have the potential to support offshore wind projects that could collectively power over three million homes with renewable energy, according to an Oct. 27 press release. The Biden administration has set a goal to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030.

The first Gulf of Mexico offshore wind lease sale held in August attracted a high bid of $5.6 million from RWE, a company based in Germany, for a 102,480-acre area offshore Lake Charles, which has the potential to support up to 1.24 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity and power nearly 435,000 homes. The auction included three lease areas off Texas and Louisiana with the potential to support the generation of approximately 3.7 gigawatts of wind energy and power nearly 1.3 million homes.

The four areas are designated as Option J K, L, and N, located at varying distances off the coast of Texas and Louisiana. Option J, K, and L are located approximately 47.2 miles, 61.5 miles, and 52.9 miles, respectively, off Texas. The fourth one is about 82 miles off the coast of Louisiana. Of the four designated areas, the first one has the largest area totaling 495,567 acres, capable of supporting enough capacity to power 2.1 million homes. The areas of options K, L, and N are 119,635 acres, 91,157 acres, and 56,978 acres, respectively.

This initiative is a part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, aimed at growing the U.S. economy, creating jobs, and building a clean energy economy. The agency’s next steps include issuing a proposed sale notice with a 60-day public comment period as part of the renewable energy competitive leasing process. The bureau also aims to continue advancing the development of offshore wind projects in other key regions, such as Oregon, the Gulf of Maine, and the Central Atlantic.