Gulf of Mexico wind 'could power 3m homes by 2030' as US marks out waters for 8.5GW of plant
Formal designation of 'wind energy areas' in two zones off Texas and Louisiana key step towards lease sales possible next year driven by demand for green electricity and hydrogen
Wind energy from the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) could be powering nearly 3 million homes in the region’s coastal states by the end of the decade after Washington Monday finalised two zones for offshore development with the potential of 8.5GW of plant.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), regulator of energy development on the federal outer continental shelf (OCS), formally designated one wind energy area (WEA) off the coast of Louisiana, the other off Texas, covering a combined 700,000 acres (2,832km2) of shallow Gulf waters.
“These two wind energy areas represent exciting progress toward having the first offshore wind lease sale in the GoM, where there is a mature industry base and the know how to advance energy development in the OCS,” said BOEM director Amanda Lefton.