The United States seeks to advance offshore wind in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico

The US Department of the Interior has announced three major milestones to advance commercial offshore wind energy development (US). The Department will propose a lease sale for wind energy development in the Carolina Long Bay area offshore North Carolina and South Carolina. The proposed lease area consists of approximately 127,865 acres (517 km²) and includes the majority of the Wilmington East Wind Energy Area, which has the potential to unlock more than 1.5 GW of offshore wind.

In addition, the Department will initiate an environmental review of Mayflower Wind’s proposal for a wind project offshore Massachusetts. Mayflower Wind is a joint venture of Shell and EDP Renewables. The 804 MW Mayflower offshore wind project won a tender in October 2019 as part of the Massachusetts offshore wind solicitation, offering electricity below the original price cap of US$84.23/MWh (winning bid price not specified). The project, which is expected to be commissioned in 2025, will deliver electricity at a price of US$58.47/MWh.

Finally, the Department will request information to further assess commercial interest in wind energy leasing in the Gulf of Mexico. The Call Area consists of almost 30 million acres (121,000 km²) just west of the Mississippi River to the Texas/Mexican border.

The United States plans to potentially hold up to seven new offshore lease sales by 2025 in the Gulf of Maine, New York Bight, Central Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico, as well as offshore the Carolinas, California, and Oregon. The country aims to deploy 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and to permit at least 25 GW of onshore renewable energy by 2025.