Gulf of Maine Wind Auction Scheduled as Tribes Seek to Delay Oregon Sale

The Biden administration continues to move forward aggressively to realize its plans for offshore wind energy generation scheduling the second auction planned for October 2024. The Department of the Interior set October 29 for the first auction of Gulf of Maine areas which would be just two weeks after the scheduled sale on the Oregon coast. A collation of tribes however is trying to delay the Oregon sale.

The Department of the Interior highlights it has conducted five offshore wind lease sales during the Biden administration. This includes the record-setting New York Bight as well as the Central Atlantic, the California coast, and less well-received sales in the Gulf of Mexico. A total of 10 offshore wind farms have won approval with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) recently highlighting the U.S. had reached approval for more than 15 GW offshore wind energy capacity, halfway to the initial offshore goal. 

The planned sale for the Gulf of Maine would be a critical step as it has the potential for approximately 13 GW of offshore wind energy capacity. The eight areas are on the Outer Continental Shelf off Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. BOEM highlights it shaved off another 120,000 acres from the original proposal reflecting input from the community of ocean users. The final call area outlined in April 2024 was nearly 10 million acres.

“The upcoming Gulf of Maine offshore wind energy auction reflects our all-of-government approach for reaching the Biden-Harris Administration’s energy goals while combatting the climate crisis,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. BOEM is moving forward quickly, having just reported on September 8 that it had completed the environmental review for the area.

The Gulf of Maine sale will come just two weeks after the scheduled first offshore sale for the coast of Oregon. BOEM announced at the end of August plans to offer three areas ranging from Coos Bay to Brandon and Brookings, which will total nearly 200,000 acres. They calculate the potential for 3.1 GW of energy from the sites.

The Oregon sale has faced persistent opposition from the communities that argue BOEM is moving too quickly. Oregon as a state is not expected to complete its road map for offshore wind development till 2025.

The Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians filed a lawsuit on September 13 against BOEM seeking to delay the sale.

“The intent of this lawsuit is to stop the October lease sale and force BOEM to do a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement that honestly looks at the impact that wind energy will have on Coastal resources,” said Tribal Council Chair Brad Kneaper. “Coastal Tribes have repeatedly met with BOEM urging BOEM to take its time to develop wind energy in a way that does not adversely impact Tribes and the resources which they depend upon.”

As part of its five-year strategy, BOEM previously released a schedule for 12 additional offshore wind auctions by 2028. However, at the end of July, BOEM reported it was canceling a planned sale for the Gulf of Mexico. They cited low interest instead proposing moving to an agreement with the sole company that was pursuing the leases.

The Department of the Interior cites the extensive review process used to plan sales. For the Gulf of Maine, they said there were two years of engagement with the information used to shape the Final Sale Notice, which will be published on September 17 in the Federal Register.