Oceantic Network Celebrates Notice of Oregon's First Offshore Wind Lease Sale

­Oceantic Network celebrates last week’s announcement by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) of an offshore wind lease sale off the Oregon Coast. BOEM issued the Final Sale Notice (FSN) for an October 15 auction that encompasses nearly 200,000 acres, enough space to construct 3.1 GW of offshore wind power generation. These lease areas lie in waters too deep for traditional fixed-bottom wind turbines, so future projects will require the use of floating offshore wind technology. 

When fully developed, these areas have the potential to power approximately one million homes with clean, renewable energy. The FSN also includes stipulations designed to promote the floating offshore wind supply chain, transmission planning, and good-paying union jobs. Oceantic Network’s May 2024 report, Suppliers’ Guide to Success: Smart Scaling for the U.S. West Coast Floating Wind Market, advised policymakers to promote investments in the supply chain and transmission infrastructure, advocating for a steady, long-term procurement schedule.

The following statement can be attributed to Liz Burdock, CEO of Oceantic Network: 

“The Network fully supports BOEM’s expansion of offshore wind leasing on the West Coast. The sale of the two identified Wind Energy Areas will help meet the state’s offshore wind goals, as well as federal goals of 30 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030 and 15 GW of floating offshore wind by 2035. By answering the call, BOEM and Oregon are aligning with newly enacted DOI policies in support of a clean energy initiative that will help meet the state’s offshore wind goals and create numerous benefits for the region. The offshore wind supply chain, which already spans 37 states, will continue its growth, creating new investments in American manufacturing, jobs, and economic benefits for local communities. The Network looks forward to continuing its work with BOEM to support offshore wind development on the West Coast.”