Haaland Announces Five-Year Schedule for Offshore Wind Lease Sale

NEW ORLEANS — The Biden administration will hold up to a dozen offshore wind energy lease sales through 2028, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced Wednesday morning.

In remarks at the International Partnering Forum conference in New Orleans, Haaland said the prospective sales, which will be overseen by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, will include leases in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific and the waters off U.S. territories.

The leasing schedule outlined by the Interior secretary includes four potential offshore lease sales in 2024, one each in 2025 and 2026, two in 2027 and four in 2028. 

During her remarks, Haaland credited the administration for effectively building an offshore wind industry “from the ground up” after years of delay by the more fossil fuel friendly Trump administration.

“As we look toward the future, this new leasing schedule will support the types of renewable energy projects needed to lower consumer costs, combat climate change, create jobs to support families and ensure economic opportunities are accessible to all communities,” she said. 

“Our offshore wind leasing schedule will provide predictability to help developers and communities plan ahead and will provide the confidence needed to continue building on the tremendous offshore wind supply chain and manufacturing investments that we’ve already seen,” Haaland added.

Since President Biden took office, the BOEM has approved the nation’s first eight commercial scale offshore wind projects, held four offshore wind lease auctions, and advanced the process to establish Wind Energy Areas in Oregon, the Gulf of Maine and the Central Atlantic. 

According to the Interior Department, the offshore wind projects approved to date will ultimately produce more than 10 GWs of clean energy — enough to power nearly 4 million homes.

In addition, department officials said they’ve taken a number of steps to ensure the sustainable growth of the wind energy sector by encouraging the use of project labor agreements, strengthening workforce training, bolstering a domestic supply chain, and through enhanced engagement with tribes, fisheries, underserved communities and ocean users. 

Elizabeth Klein, director of BOEM, said her agency hopes the release of the extended lease schedule will also help accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy by giving those who work in the sector a greater sense of certainty about their future.

“Routinely issuing a leasing schedule demonstrates our commitment to a long-term portfolio of leases and provides advance notice to stakeholders of the areas that are being considered for future lease sales, and facilitates planning by tribes, states, localities, interest groups, academia, non-profits, fisheries, federal agencies and other stakeholders,” Klein said.

The new offshore wind energy leasing plan includes the following sales over the next five years: 2024; Central Atlantic, Gulf of Maine, Gulf of Mexico and Oregon; 2025; Gulf of Mexico; 2026; Central Atlantic; 2027; Gulf of Mexico and New York Bight; 2028; California, a U.S. Territory, Gulf of Maine and Hawaii. 

Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, a Washington, D.C.-based coalition representing the offshore oil, gas and wind industries, said Wednesday that “Consistent and predictable lease sales are crucial for maintaining a steady flow of energy production.”

Though he called Haaland’s announcement “a positive development,” he also said it “reinforces the pressing need for more offshore oil and gas lease sales.” 

“With potentially only three oil and gas lease sales scheduled over the next five years, Interior may struggle to comply with the Inflation Reduction Act and conduct offshore wind lease sales annually as contemplated in the new schedule — a crucial factor for supporting renewable energy growth along America’s coastlines,” Milito said in a written statement.

“Any actions to delay or reduce Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sales could inadvertently delay offshore wind lease sales,” he continued. “Periods of inactivity in lease sales — whether for wind or oil and gas — only increase uncertainty and risk driving investment dollars overseas. Sustaining regular lease sales for all energy sources ensures energy continuity, promotes economic growth,and maintains America’s competitiveness in the global energy market.”

Despite his concerns, Milito commended the Interior secretary for releasing the schedule and urged Congress “to continue bipartisan efforts to legislate offshore lease sales for both oil and gas and wind energy at regular intervals.”

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and at https://twitter.com/DanMcCue