The first-ever offshore wind lease in the Gulf of Mexico is set to go on sale.
On Wednesday, the Interior Department announced the proposed sale of over 300,000 acres in three wind energy regions in Galveston, Texas, and Lake Charles, Louisiana, according to the Washington Examiner.
The three sites can produce enough energy to power around 1.3 million homes, KOMO News reported.
“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,” Josh Kaplowitz, vice president of the American Clean Power Association, said in a news release.
While the proposed deal would mark the fourth offshore wind lease sale since President Biden took office, it is the first ever in the Gulf region, according to CNN.
“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,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a press release.
While the Gulf of Mexico serves as a significant source of oil and gas production, it has been absent from consideration of offshore projects until now, according to the Washington Examiner.
Currently, there are wind leases located offshore of New York and New Jersey, offshore of the Carolinas, and one off the California coast, according to the Washington Examiner.
Although winds are not as strong in the Gulf compared to California or the Northeast, they blow at the right time along Texas’ Gulf Coast — in the early evenings just when solar energy begins to fade — Crystal Shen, a senior project engineer in the renewables group at UL solutions, told New Orleans City Business.
The National Ocean Industries Association said the offshore wind leases would supplement the gulf’s existing oil and gas industry.
“Through offshore wind, along with regular and predictable offshore oil and gas leasing, the U.S. Gulf of Mexico can expand its remarkable and irreplaceable energy portfolio,” said Erik Milito, the association’s president, in a statement.