The federal government of the United States has set a target for the US to install 15 GW of floating offshore wind capacity by 2035. This new objective is expected to power 5 million homes, reduce carbon emissions by 26 MtCO2/year, and lower costs by 70% by 2035 (reaching US$45/MWh). The new target will build on the US’ existing goal of reaching 30 GW of overall offshore wind by 2030, which will be largely met using bottom-fixed technology.
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will advance lease areas in deep waters for floating technology, starting with the lease auction off the coast of the US state of California by the end of 2022. Waters off the West Coast and the Gulf of Maine are the areas with the most wind energy potential in the country. In 2021, only 42 MW of offshore wind capacity were operational in the US.