The federal government announces that the first offshore wind energy sale of close to 300 thousand acres in the Gulf of Mexico will be auctioned off on August 29th. Director of Future Energy at Greater New Orleans Inc. Lacey McManus says this moment has been eagerly anticipated and officially makes the state a hub for offshore wind activity.
“It feels like all the dreams we’ve been having for the last few years now they’re all coming to fruition. All the big puzzle pieces are starting to get put into place.”
More than 102 thousand acres offshore from Lake Charles and two areas of about 100 thousand acres each near Galveston are under consideration. McManus says some of the world’s largest wind energy developers have already expressed interest.
“There’s already a pre-qualified list of approved bidders. A lot of our major traditional energy companies are getting into the wind game to build out and drive new energy resources. For not only the state of Louisiana but for the country.”
Several stipulations have been added on potential holders including agreeing to support workforce training programs. McManus says building wind farms may be a way off but Louisiana workers are ready.
“It’s going to take a few years but I think one of the unique advantages that we have is a skilled labor force. And we have this unique expertise in terms of servicing offshore energy assets. We know how to do this.”
The areas could turn wind energy into nearly 4 gigawatts of electricity each year. A sale notice can be found in the Federal Register.
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