The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will hold a competitive lease sale auction for four wind energy areas on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore Massachusetts on Thursday, January 29.
A mock auction for the eligible bidders will be held on Monday, January 26, when BOEM will contact each eligible bidder and provide instructions for participation.
The monetary auction will begin at 8:30 a.m. EST on Thursday and may last for several days, until BOEM considers all monetary and non-monetary factors in determining the winner.
Twelve companies are legally, technically and financially qualified to participate in the upcoming Massachusetts lease sale:
To date, BOEM has awarded seven commercial wind energy leases off the Atlantic coast: two non-competitive leases (Cape Wind in Nantucket Sound off Massachusetts and an area off Delaware) and five competitive leases (two offshore Massachusetts-Rhode Island, two offshore Maryland and another offshore Virginia). Together, the competitive lease sales have generated more than $14 million in high bids for over 357,000 acres in federal waters.
BOEM is expected to hold an additional competitive lease sale auction for wind energy areas off New Jersey later this year.
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Offshore WIND Staff; Image: BOEM