CNN reports:

The Biden administration on Wednesday announced the first-ever US offshore wind energy lease sale for the waters in the Gulf of Mexico, an area long dominated by oil and gas production.

The White House and US Department of Interior said they are proposing to open up more than 300,000 acres of offshore waters for offshore wind development — one area off the coast of Lake Charles, Louisiana, and two off the coast of Galveston, Texas. However, Interior is taking public comment on whether one or both Galveston areas will be auctioned to lease.

The details of the lease sale were shared first with CNN.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said the announcement was part of the effort to “jumpstart our offshore wind industry” in the US. The Biden administration intends to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, plus another 15 gigawatts of energy produced by floating offshore wind turbines by 2035.

That goal could power 10 million homes, create 44,000 new jobs in the offshore wind industry by 2030 and nearly 33,000 additional jobs in communities supported by offshore wind activity, the Biden administration has 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,” Haaland said. [Continue reading…]