The Department of the Interior has held the first-ever offshore wind energy auction for the Gulf of Mexico region of the United States, consisting of three leases areas with the potential to host a total installed capacity of over 3.7 GW in offshore wind. Lease areas included two zones offshore Galveston, Texas, one comprising 102,480 acres (41,472 hectares) and the other 96,786 acres (39,168 hectares), and a third, 102,480-acre (41,472 hectares) area offshore Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The tender resulted in one lease area receiving a high bid of US$5.6m. The German energy group RWE was the winner of the Lake Charles Lease Area, which has the potential to generate 1.24 GW of offshore wind energy capacity. RWE’s awarded site is 44 miles (71 km) off the coast of Louisiana and has water depths of 10-25 meters. The project is expected to be in operation by the mid-2030s, contingent upon permitting timelines.
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