The Department of the Interior announced today, July 20, 2023, that it will hold the first-ever offshore wind energy lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico. The areas to be auctioned on August 29, 2023 by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management have the potential to generate approximately 3.7 GW and power almost 1.3 million homes with clean, renewable energy.
“By catalyzing the offshore wind energy potential of the Gulf of Mexico, we can tackle the climate crisis, lower energy costs for families and create good-paying jobs,” said Secretary Deb Haaland.
“The Gulf of Mexico is poised to play a key role in our nation’s transition to a clean energy future,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “Today’s announcement follows years of engagement with government agencies, states, ocean users, and stakeholders in the Gulf of Mexico region. We look forward to continued collaboration in the years to come.”
The lease sale announced today follows the federal government’s third approval earlier this month of a commercial-scale, offshore wind energy project in the United States and is part of the leasing path announced by Secretary Haaland in 2021.
The Final Sale Notice (FSN), which will publish in the Federal Register on July 21, 2023, includes a 102,480-acre area offshore Lake Charles, Louisiana, and two areas offshore Galveston, Texas–one comprising 102,480 acres and the other 96,786 acres.
The FSN provides detailed information about the final lease areas, lease provisions and conditions, and auction details. It also identifies qualified companies who can participate in the lease auction. Details on the FSN, along with a map of the area can be found on BOEM’s website here.
Earlier this year, the Department of the Interior announced the Proposed Sale Notice for offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of Mexico. During the 60-day comment period, BOEM received comments on several lease stipulations that supported BOEM’s commitment to engage with underserved communities, ocean users and other stakeholders.
Some of these stipulations, which are part of the FSN, include:
- Bidding credits to bidders who commit to supporting workforce training programs, developing a domestic supply chain for the offshore wind energy industry,
- Bidding credits for establishing and contributing to a fisheries compensatory mitigation fund or contributing to an existing fund to mitigate potential negative impacts to commercial and for-hire recreational fisheries caused by offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of Mexico, and
- Requiring that lessees provide a regular progress report summarizing engagement with Tribes and ocean users potentially affected by proposed offshore wind energy activities.
In the past two years, the federal government has made progress towards catalyzing a new clean energy industry, by investing in workers and communities, while protecting biodiversity and ocean co-use.
The BOEM expects to review at least 16 Construction and Operations Plans of commercial, offshore wind energy facilities by 2025, which would represent more than 27 GW of clean energy for the nation.
To read a history of the Gulf of Mexico Offshore Wind activities to date, as well as access coordinates and other documents, click here.
Guice Offshore Has the Jones Act-Compliant Supply, Support and Platform Vessels To Help Meet Gulf of Mexico Offshore Wind Goals
Guice Offshore’s growing fleet of Jones Act-compliant, dynamically positioned offshore supply vessels, mini supply vessels and platform vessels is well positioned to help meet our nation’s wind energy infrastructure installation and service goal deadlines, whether it’s crew transfer, service, cable laying, subsea work like scour protection or equipment transportation.
Guice Offshore vessels are well-maintained, well-manned and feature ample accommodations and sought-after equipment such as A-frames, cranes, winches, moonpools, deck sockets and essentials to facilitate a spectrum of highly specialized offshore projects.
We hold strategic partnerships along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Eastern Seaboard, from South Florida to Connecticut, and maintain our highly capable vessels in accessible locations for quick response to myriad needs of the many specialty industries we serve like Offshore Wind.
Headquartered in Covington, Louisiana with its operations base in Lafayette, Louisiana and a northeastern Rhode Island office, Guice Offshore operates a 15-vessel fleet of U.S. Flag offshore vessels that includes Jones Act-compliant mini supply, multi-purpose and platform vessels in the 150-ft, 170-ft and 205-ft class with DP1 and DP2 certifications.
Guice Offshore operates from coast to coast in North America and select international locales.
Additionally, our subsidiary, GO Marine Services, a catering and offshore labor contractor, supports mission requirements that help minimize mobilization time and expense for Guice Offshore customers with special services like marine riggers, roustabouts and certified protected species observers in compliance with marine mammal regulatory requirements.
For charter inquiries, please contact David Scheyd at david.scheyd@guiceoffshore.com or (985) 273-2769
