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One Step Closer to Offshore Wind in the Gulf of Mexico

Posted on: Feb 16, 2022
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In January 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (“BOEM”) announced its next step toward making offshore wind energy leasing a reality in the Gulf of Mexico. On January 11, 2022, BOEM announced it was preparing a draft environmental assessment to analyze the environmental impacts of renewable energy leasing in the Gulf. These leases will provide a lessee the exclusive right to submit plans for renewable energy projects in that lease location.

Currently, BOEM is considering approximately 30 million acres off the coast of Louisiana and Texas for renewable energy development. This was narrowed down from a more extensive area in the Gulf spanning from Texas to the Florida panhandle after BOEM issued a Request for Interest in June 2021. In November 2021, the Department of the Interior published a Call for Information and Nominations to gauge commercial interest in wind energy leasing in the Gulf. This call received several comments from interested industry and other organizations.

BOEM expects that its draft environmental assessment on the leasing will be completed this summer and aims to offer wind energy leasing as early as the end of 2022. This is part of the Department of Interior's broader plans to sponsor up to seven offshore renewable energy lease sales off the coast of several states, including in the Gulf of Mexico, by 2025.

About the Author:

Emily von Qualen
Liskow & Lewis

Written on behalf of the Environmental Law Committee