The U.S. Interior Dept. today announced that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will hold a wind energy lease sale on Wednesday, May 11 for two areas spanning ~110,000 acres in federal waters off North Carolina and South Carolina in the Carolina Long Bay area. If developed, DOI said that the lease areas could generate enough electricity to power ~500,000 homes.
Interior Sec. Deb Haaland said that the upcoming lease sale “provides yet another excellent opportunity to strengthen the clean energy industry while creating good-paying union jobs,” adding that DOI “will continue using every tool in our toolbox to tackle the climate crisis, reduce our emissions to reach the President’s bold goals, and advance environmental justice.”
Lease stipulations included in the Final Sale Notice include credits for bidders that invest in programs to advance U.S. offshore wind energy workforce training or supply chain development, as well as required identification of and reporting on engagement and communication with stakeholders including tribes, underserved communities, agencies, and ocean users.
