It’s Monday, June 14, and President Joe Biden is opening up the Atlantic to more offshore wind leases.
On Friday, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, or BOEM, proposed leasing eight new areas to offshore wind developers off the coast of New York and New Jersey in a shallow zone known as the New York Bight. The agency says the proposed lease area has the potential to host more than 7 gigawatts’ worth of wind turbines, or enough to power more than 2.6 million homes with emissions-free electricity.
It’s a step toward the Biden administration’s goal of developing 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030. And in keeping with the president’s promise to create good-paying jobs and ensure that the energy transition benefits disadvantaged communities, BOEM will attach a number of stipulations to the leases.
Developers may be required to make agreements with union labor for wind farm construction, a provision that the North American Building Trades Union applauded. There will also be mechanisms to ensure that projects provide benefits to underserved communities, and bolster the domestic wind manufacturing industry. In an effort to address concerns from the fishing industry that it has been left out of the conversation, developers may have to submit regular reports on how they are engaging with other ocean stakeholders.
The agency will be taking comments on the lease areas and stipulations for 60 days before making a final decision to auction them off.
The Smog
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