The federal government, AP reports, will auction leases for wind farms off the coast of Rhode Island and Massachusetts on July 31, marking the first time it has sold competitive leases for wind energy on the outer continental shelf, the U.S. Department of Interior said Tuesday
The area is 9 nautical miles off the coast of Rhode Island, sitting between and to the south of Block Island and Martha’s Vineyard, and will be auctioned as two leases. The north area is around 150 square miles, while the south area covers a little more than 100 square miles.
“Today we are moving closer to tapping into the enormous potential offered by offshore wind to create jobs, increase our sustainability and strengthen our nation’s competitiveness in this new energy frontier,” Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said in a written statement.
The Department of Interior and its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management first announced plans for the auction in November but did not set a date. They said at the time the federal government would also auction a lease off the coast of Virginia, though plans have not yet been announced for that sale.
The Department of Energy estimates that the area off Rhode Island could support enough electricity to power more than 1 million homes.
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Also: If you’d like to discuss energy issues, contact Court Rich, Co-Chair of Rose Law Group’s Renewable Energy Department at crich@roselawgroup.com
