The Interior Department proposed its first offshore lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday for wind turbines as part of the Biden administration’s clean energy agenda.
The administration will auction off as much as three areas comprising up to 300,000 acres, or nearly 475 square miles, with the potential to power almost 1.3 million homes, a move that Interior Secretary Deb Haaland lauded.
But critics of President Biden’s energy policies say the lack of federal lands and waters offered for oil and natural gas drilling is contributing to high household energy prices.
“America’s clean energy transition is happening right here and now. At the department we are taking action to jump-start our offshore wind industry and harness American innovation to deliver reliable, affordable power to homes and businesses,” Ms. Haaland said. “There is no time to waste in making bold investments to address the climate crisis, and building a strong domestic offshore wind industry is key to meeting that challenge head on.”
The Gulf of Mexico lease sale for the turbines, which go in the water, will mark the fourth offshore wind auction the administration has held, including in waters off New York and California. This sale will include a 102,480-acre area offshore Lake Charles, Louisiana, with the potential to include two areas offshore Galveston, Texas, each comprising around 100,000 acres.
The Interior Department wants public comments in the next few months about the proposed lease auction.
Republicans and the oil and gas sector have accused Mr. Biden of contributing to soaring energy costs by stifling new onshore and offshore lease sales for fossil fuel production.
The Biden administration was forced to offer more oil and natural gas lease sales as part of stipulations from Sen. Joe Manchin III, West Virginia Democrat, in the Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats’ tax-and-climate spending law. The administration awarded $190 million in offshore oil-and-gas leases last year as part of a 1.7-million-acre selloff in the Gulf of Mexico.
Elizabeth Klein, director of DOI’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, sought to assuage any concerns from environmentalists by vowing new wind turbine farms will be constructed in a manner that “avoids or minimizes potential impacts to the ocean and ocean users.”
“Today’s announcement comes after years of engagement with Tribes, other government agencies, ocean users and stakeholders, and this proposed sale notice provides another opportunity for them to weigh in on potential offshore wind leasing in the Gulf of Mexico,” she said.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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