The American Clean Power Association (ACP) issued a statement today following the announcements by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Department of the Interior (DOI) advancing the first-ever offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico. DOI has announced a Proposed Sale Notice, which initiates a 60-day public comment period and provides detailed information about the wind energy lease areas and auction details for lease areas in two regions on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas. BOEM has proposed auctioning three leases totaling 301,746 acres for offshore wind development, which could power up to 1.3 million homes with clean electricity.

“Today’s announcement is another significant milestone in the development of domestic offshore wind production. This proposed lease sale will continue the legacy of energy production in the Gulf of Mexico, providing Americans with an affordable clean energy supply. It will also help secure our nation’s energy independence while reducing costs for consumers,” said Josh Kaplowitz, ACP’s Vice President for Offshore Wind. “By harnessing our abundance of renewable natural resources, these projects will unleash economic growth here at home and create good paying jobs. ACP applauds Interior Secretary Haaland and BOEM and looks forward to partnering with them to meet the ambitious but achievable goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030.”