July 21, 2022 — The Biden administration on Wednesday said it had identified 700,000 acres for possible offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of Mexico, seeking to expand a growing clean energy industry to a major U.S. oil and gas hub.
It also said President Joe Biden would direct his Interior Department to move ahead with offshore wind development in areas of the Atlantic coast where former President Donald Trump banned oil and gas development.
The expansion of the nascent U.S. offshore wind industry is a cornerstone of Biden’s plan to fight global warming and decarbonize the electricity sector by 2035.
Biden’s Interior Department will seek public input on two areas in the Gulf. One is off the coast of Galveston, Texas, and the other near Lake Charles, Louisiana. If projects are ultimately developed there, they could power more than 3 million homes, the administration said.
The two areas will undergo further review to determine the locations most suitable for leasing.