On October 29, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) auctioned off eight leases encompassing 850,000 acres of the Gulf of Maine. Fourteen companies were eligible to bid on the eight lease areas; however, only two offered bids on just four leases. Avangrid Renewables successfully bid on a 98,565-acre tract for $4,928,250, and a second 124,897-acre site for $6,244,850. Both lease areas are approximately 29.5 nautical miles from Massachusetts. Invenergy NE Offshore Wind bid $4,892,700, for a 97,854 acre-tract approximately 46.2 nautical miles from Maine and $5,889,000 for a second 117,780-acre site approximately 21.6 nautical miles of Cape Cod. Each company was limited to no more than two leases.
One leased area lies about 46 nm off Maine; the three others are located east of Massachusetts. MLA image.
The leases do not authorize the construction or operation of any off shore wind facilities. Rather, they provide the right to submit a project plan for BOEM’s review. Th e companies seek to construct and operate floating wind turbines, an emerging technology required in Gulf of Maine off shore areas.
As part of their bids, the two companies also committed to more than $5.4 million in bidding credits. Bidding credits are binding agreements to invest over $2.7 million in workforce training and domestic supply chain development and $2.7 million for fisheries compensatory mitigation.
Dan Burgess, director of the Governor’s Energy Office, said the federal lease sale represented a “significant milestone” for Maine and the region as it develops off shore wind to reduce a dependence on expensive fossil fuels and fight climate change. “We look forward to following the next phases of these lease sales and building on our progress to foster this industry for the benefit of Maine people,” Burgess said.
Maine lobstermen have persistently opposed the creation of floating wind farms in the Gulf of Maine. “The Maine Lobstermen’s Association is disappointed that BOEM has taken yet another dangerous step toward the industrialization of one of the world’s most productive marine ecosystems. The MLA remains steadfast that no area of the Gulf of Maine should be industrialized with off shore wind. With 20,000 individuals employed aboard Maine’s fishing vessels or directly in the seafood supply chain, the productive and fragile waters of the Gulf of Maine should not be used as testing ground for new off shore wind technology or to site large industrial wind farms.”
New England is a growing market for off shore wind developers because many states have passed laws mandating procurement of off shore wind energy. Massachusetts is a leader in off shore wind with a target of 5.6 gigawatts by 2027; Maine’s goal is to generate 3 gigwatts of off shore wind energy by 2040.
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