June 9, 2021 — President Joe Biden’s administration wants to know whether offshore wind companies want to move into the Gulf of Mexico.
The agency that oversees offshore leases will publish a request for interest Friday in the Federal Register, for areas off Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama, the Interior Department said Tuesday.
Those areas are largely in shallower waters where many wells have played out rather than the deep seas where the Gulf’s offshore oil and gas industry is now focused.
Biden has said he wants enough wind-generated electricity for more than 10 million homes nationwide by 2030.
Offshore wind development has the potential to create tens of thousands of good-paying, union jobs across the nation, said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
Her agency’s request for interest from developers “is an important first step to see what role the Gulf may play in this exciting frontier,” she said.
“The Gulf of Mexico is extremely well-positioned for the exploration of new offshore technologies and energy opportunities,” said Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, which includes companies building both wind and oil and gas facilities offshore.