Department of Interior Announces First Offshore Wind Lease Sale in the Gulf of Maine

If fully developed, these areas have a potential capacity of approximately 13 gigawatts of clean offshore wind energy, which could power more than 4.5 million homes.

This announcement is built upon the best available science, including the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science’s ecosystem-based spatial suitability model, as well as over two years of extensive engagement with Tribes, fishing interests, and stakeholders across the region. Information gained through this engagement, including public comments, was instrumental in determining the final location, size and shape of the eight lease areas.  

The area included in the Final Sale Notice (FSN) is approximately 120,000 acres less than what the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) included in its Proposed Sale Notice, which was announced earlier this year. BOEM prioritized the avoidance of offshore fishing grounds, sensitive habitats, and existing and future vessel transit routes, while still retaining sufficient acreage to support the region’s offshore wind energy goals.  

The FSN for the Gulf of Maine auction includes details regarding the auction, provisions, and conditions of the leases, the lease form, information on bidding credits, criteria for evaluating competing bids, award procedures, appeal procedures, and lease execution. The FSN includes several lease stipulations designed to promote the development of a robust domestic U.S. supply chain for floating wind and create good-paying union jobs, advance flexibility in transmission planning, minimize habitat impacts, and collect data on protected marine mammals. The FSN will publish in the Federal Register on September 17, 2024.  

The issuance of any lease resulting from this sale does not authorize the construction and operations of an offshore wind facility. A lease provides the right to submit project-specific plans. Such plans, if submitted, would be subject to environmental, technical, and public reviews prior to a decision on whether the project proposals should be approved.