The US Department of the Interior is to hold its first auction for renewable energy on the US Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in July. It applies to a 667 sq km Wind Energy Area (WEA) off Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The WEA is located 17km off the Rhode Island coastline.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will auction it as two leases. The North Lease Area comprises 395 sq km with the potential for 1,955MW of capacity. The 272 sq km South Lease Area could host 1,440MW. The lease areas will be auctioned simultaneously.
US Interior Secretary, Sally Jewell, said: "Today we are moving closer to tapping into the enormous potential offered by offshore wind to create jobs, increase our sustainability and strengthen our nation’s competitiveness in this new energy frontier."
Deepwater Wind New England, EDF Renewable Development, Energy Management, Fishermen’s Energy, Iberdrola Renewables, Neptune Wind, Sea Breeze Energy, US Mainstream Renewable Power and US Wind Inc. have all expressed an interest and are eligible to participate in the auction.
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