The US DOI plans to sell leases for wind farms offshore RI, Mass., and Va

The US Department of the Interior plans to sell leases for wind farms offshore Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Virginia, marking the first lease sale for wind energy on the Outer Continental Shelf, officials said from Washington, DC, on Nov. 30.

Interior Sec. Ken Salazar announced competitive lease sales are planned for 2013 in two areas. Salazar made the announcement along with Interior Deputy Sec. David J. Hayes and US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Tommy P. Beaudreau.

“As we experience record domestic oil and gas development, we are moving forward at the same time with efforts to ensure that America continues to lead the world at developing the energy of the future,” Salazar said.

Hayes said, “Holding competitive lease sales on the wind-rich East Coast is ushering in a new chapter in America’s development of renewable energy.” Federal officials are working closely with Rhode Island and the other states to identify the best areas for offshore wind farms, he said.

BOEM announced the Proposed Sale Notices to offer 277,550 acres in one area offshore Virginia and another area offshore Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The areas proposed for leasing are expected to be able to support more than 4,000 Mw of wind generation.

The area of mutual interest proposed for leasing offshore Rhode Island and Massachusetts covers 164,750 acres and is about 9 nautical miles south of the Rhode Island coast. The area will be auctioned as two leases, the North Zone and South Zone.

The proposed lease area offshore Virginia will be auctioned as a single lease and covers 112,800 acres about 23.5 nautical miles offshore southern Virginia.

BOEM has posted online more information about the proposed sale notice for Rhode Island and Massachusetts and also the proposed sale notice for offshore Virginia.

Currently, the US has no offshore wind farms although some are in development in state waters off Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Delaware.

The Cape Wind project, a wind farm under construction in federal water off Cape Cod, Mass., is scheduled to be running in 2015. It was approved before the competitive leasing system for wind energy was implemented.

4 Comments on "The US DOI plans to sell leases for wind farms offshore RI, Mass., and Va"

BillT on Sat, 1st Dec 2012 4:25 am 



Has anyone considered the effects of a hurricane on this idea? And if the sites are leased in 2013, then it will be 5-10 years before anything actually exists on the site.

I think it will not happen. The economy is going to shrink investment money to the point that nothing will be built. And the courts are going to be busy deciding who has rights, the people who live there or corporations as happened before. We shall see.

MrEnergyCzar on Sat, 1st Dec 2012 4:36 am 



Cape Wind will be built…

MrEnergyCzar

Kenz300 on Sat, 1st Dec 2012 4:57 am 



Wind and solar installations are growing around the world as prices continue to fall and economies of scale kick in.

A recognition of climate change and its impacts (and costs in destruction from storms)will speed up the adaption of alternative energy sources.

BillT on Sat, 1st Dec 2012 10:52 am 



Fifty windmills in the oceans in 5-10 years is not enough to replace one nuke plant. But dream if you want and we shall see who is right.