Dive Summary:

• A competitive lease auction intended to accelerate wind generation off the coast of Rhode Island and Massachusetts will take place July 13 , the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced recently.
• The two states will offer up 164,750 acres to develop nearly 3,500MW of wind energy to power more than 1 million homes.
• "This is history in the making as we mark yet another major milestone in the President's all-of-the-above energy strategy," said Interior Department Secretary Sally Jewell.

From the article:

“In February 2011, former Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and former Secretary of Energy Steven Chu unveiled a coordinated strategic plan to accelerate the development of offshore wind resources. As part of the 'Smart from the Start' program for expediting commercial-scale wind energy on the federal OCS, DOI has identified wind energy areas to spur responsible development of this abundant resource.”