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United States Of America – As offshore projects begin to take off in New England a new report from the US Business Network for Offshore Wind has revealed that the Gulf of Mexico may be up next as planning begins towards potential sites for offshore wind’s next footprints just off America’s southern coasts.
On August 29th, an auction took place which included three lease areas that cover over 300,000 acres. One area is off the coast of Lake Charles, Louisiana, and the other two are off the coast of Galveston, Texas.
In combination, these three areas have the ability to generate 3700MW of offshore wind power. This alone will boost the US’s goal of 30GW by 2030.
The report, Unlocking the Gulf of Mexico’s Offshore Wind Energy Potential, evaluates how the region’s history of innovation, offshore oil and gas experience, and powerful supply chain has the capability to accelerate offshore wind growth within the area.
Additionally, the report analyses the offshore wind development process and highlights Gulf based companies which have already contributed to the growth of the industry. Unfortunately, there is an overall absence of such projects in Gulf waters.
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Approximately one in five offshore wind contracts, that have been identified by the Network’s Market Dashboard, have been given to companies based in the Gulf of Mexico. This demonstrates the regions well versed knowledge and expertise in the offshore wind energy industry.
John Begala, Vice President for federal and state policy at the Business Network for Offshore Wind, has stated that, “The Gulf of Mexico is uniquely prepared for the offshore wind industry with decades of offshore energy experience already under its belt.”
Begala continues saying, “Yes, the region has hurdles to overcome, including the creation of a regulatory framework for power offtake and the need to maximize generation in a lower wind speed environment…However, as has been the case for more than 70 years, the creative solutions developed here will impact the global offshore wind market.”
