WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of the Interior’s historic, just-completed offshore lease auction shows momentum behind offshore wind as a critical component of addressing climate change and powering Americans with clean energy.
The auction for three offshore wind energy leases in federal waters off the coast of Massachusetts brought in a record-breaking total of just over $405 million, with two areas selling for $135 million and the other for $135.1 million. The combined lease areas comprise nearly 400,000 acres and, if fully developed, could provide clean, domestic power to roughly 1.5 million homes across the Northeast region.
“This historic auction clearly demonstrates investor confidence in America’s offshore wind market, thanks to the leadership of states like Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey that have set long term, large scale commitments to finally bring this critically needed climate solution online,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “The fierce competition in today’s auction makes clear that the booming global offshore wind power industry sees a prosperous future in U.S. waters — one that will replace retiring power plants with affordable, reliable energy and create tens of thousands of domestic jobs in the process. The National Wildlife Federation applauds the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for a successful auction and congratulates Equinor Wind, Mayflower Wind Energy and Vineyard Wind for securing these new leases. Looking forward, we will continue to work with all leaseholders to ensure that coastal and marine wildlife are protected throughout every stage of the offshore wind development process.”
Market demand for offshore wind power in America is at an all-time high, with states from Massachusetts to Maryland committed to policies that will finally launch an offshore wind industry this side of the Atlantic. After more than 25 years of offshore wind development overseas, this booming industry is promising to bring tens of thousands of jobs along with thousands of megawatts of clean energy to America.
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