First Offshore Wind Lease Sale Held for Gulf of Maine

Wind energy project could power more than 2.3 million homes

Rows of wind turbines on the water

The four leased areas off the coast of Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, when fully developed, could provide enough clean energy to power 2.3 million homes. Photo by Shutterstock

October 29, 2024 (Boston, MA) – The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Tuesday held the first offshore wind lease sale for the Gulf of Maine. The four leased areas off the coast of Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, when fully developed, could provide enough clean energy to power 2.3 million homes. Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) released the following statement in response.

“The Gulf of Maine lease sale is a pivotal step in our clean energy transition and for the region to significantly reduce climate-damaging emissions,” said Kate Sinding Daly, Senior Vice President for Law and Policy at CLF. “More powerful storms, warming oceans and rising sea levels, and higher temperatures caused by our overheating planet are threatening our lives and livelihood. In order to secure affordable, clean energy, improve public health, and strengthen our economy, we must continue to responsibly develop offshore wind.”

CLF has and will continue to push the federal government and offshore wind developers to take necessary measures to avoid and minimize impacts of offshore wind projects on North Atlantic right whales, including excluding the most important habitats. You can read more about CLF’s work to develop offshore wind sustainably here.  

CLF experts are available for further comment. 

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