The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s wind energy auction for five leases off the California coast yielded “competitive high bids totaling $757.1 million from five companies,” the Department of the Interior announced Dec. 7.
A first for the region, the sale of five lease areas encompassing 373,268 acres off Central and Northern California surpassed the initial lease sales that took place in the Atlantic region, the department said.
The five companies and their bids are:
|
|
Lease Area |
Acres |
High Bid |
|
RWE Offshore Wind Holdings, LLC |
OCS-P 0561 |
63,338 |
$157,700,000 |
|
California North Floating, LLC |
OCS-P 0562 |
69,031 |
$173,800,000 |
|
Equinor Wind US, LLC |
OCS-P 0563 |
80,062 |
$130,000,000 |
|
Central California Offshore Wind, LLC |
OCS-P 0564 |
80,418 |
$150,300,000 |
|
Invenergy California Offshore LLC |
OCS-P 0565 |
80,418 |
$145,300,000 |
“The Biden-Harris administration believes that to address the climate crisis head on, we must unleash a new era of clean, reliable energy that serves every household in America. Today’s lease sale is further proof that industry momentum – including for floating offshore wind development – is undeniable,” Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement.
“A sustainable, clean energy future is within our grasp and the Interior Department is doing everything we can to ensure that American communities nationwide benefit,” she added.
The leased areas could generate more than 4.6 gigawatts of offshore wind energy to power more than 1.5 million homes.
For more information, visit BOEM’s website.
