BOEM Cancels Offshore Wind Lease Sale in Gulf of Mexico

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has decided to cancel a proposed offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico, citing a lack of interest from developers.

In March, BOEM had offered approximately 1,660 square kilometers across four wind energy areas off the coastlines of Louisiana and Texas, with a potential capacity of around 5 GW. 

Despite this opportunity, the proposal received only 25 comments, with interest shown by just one developer, leading BOEM to cancel the sale. The agency has indicated that it may consider holding a lease sale in the future if developer interest increases.

The Gulf of Mexico saw its first offshore wind lease sale in August 2023, resulting in one lease being awarded to the company RWE.

In related news, BOEM has received an unsolicited lease request from Hecate Energy for different sites off the southeast coast of Texas. These areas were previously identified as suitable for offshore wind development in 2021.