The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced Friday that it has approved the upcoming sale of two offshore wind leases, which contain up to 6.3 GW in capacity and will be auctioned on Aug. 14.
One lease area contains 101,443 acres and is offshore Delaware and Maryland, while the other contains 176,505 acres and is offshore Virginia. The final sale notice, published today, lists the 17 bidders eligible to participate in the auction.
“Opening up these new areas, along with the next three lease auctions planned for this year, will support an already-developing pipeline that is putting Americans to work while nurturing tens of billions in new investments and manufacturing expansion across the nation,” Oceantic Network’s president and CEO Liz Burdock said in a release. “We encourage BOEM and Maryland to continue their work in identifying new areas to help meet regional targets.”
The final sale notice includes stipulations that offer a 12.5% bidding credit to bidders who commit to supporting workforce training programs for offshore wind, commit to building out the domestic supply chain, or both.
A 12.5% bidding credit is also offered to bidders “who establish and contribute to a fisheries compensatory mitigation fund or contribute to an existing fund.”
Another stipulation requires that lessees “make every reasonable effort to enter into a project labor agreement covering the construction stage of any project for the lease areas; communication plans for Tribes, agencies, and fisheries; and semi-annual reports on engagement activities with Tribes and communities,” BOEM said.
The Central Atlantic sales are part of BOEM’s announced schedule for lease auctions through 2028. This year, BOEM said it also plans to hold sales in the Gulf of Maine, Gulf of Mexico and offshore Oregon.
The lease sale offshore Virginia represents “a tremendous opportunity for [the state] to build on the promise of a clean energy future, continue the momentum of offshore wind, and promote exciting economic and job growth,” Grayson Holmes, a senior attorney in the Southern Environmental Law Center’s Virginia office, said in a statement.
“We look forward to working with project developers to ensure a successful and environmentally responsible project,” Holmes said.
