Tuesday 19 October 2021

Biden sets plan for seven major offshore wind farms

The US has unveiled today plans to build seven major offshore wind farms in a bid to meet the Biden-Harris Administration's goal to deploy 30GW of offshore wind by 2030.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is set to hold seven new offshore lease sales along the east and west coast by 2025.

Projects could be built in the waters in the Gulf of Mexico, California, Oregon, the New York coast and the Carolinas.

The BOEM said it will aim to avoid any conflicts during the leasing period and will engage with local communities and stakeholders before the identification of new wind energy areas.

US Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland said: “The Interior Department is laying out an ambitious roadmap as we advance the Administration’s plans to confront climate change, create good-paying jobs, and accelerate the nation’s transition to a cleaner energy future.

“This timetable provides two crucial ingredients for success: increased certainty and transparency. Together, we will meet our clean energy goals while addressing the needs of other ocean users and potentially impacted communities. We have big goals to achieve a clean energy economy and Interior is meeting the moment.”