The federal government says it is ready to sell commercial wind energy leases for two areas off the Oregon coast, the next step to developing floating wind technology in the state.
Tuesday’s announcement by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management does not include a lease auction date but the agency said it would hold the auction and issue leases later this year.
The proposed lease sale in Oregon includes two areas totaling nearly 195,000 acres. They have the potential to generate 2.4 gigawatts of wind power – enough energy for about 830,000 homes.
The Coos Bay wind energy area, about 61,000 acres, is 32 miles from shore and the Brookings wind energy area, more than twice as large, is about 18 miles from shore.
Oregon’s wind leases are part of the Biden administration’s aggressive development of offshore wind on both coasts, which the federal government deems critical to the country’s clean energy transition.
Earlier this month, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced up to 12 potential offshore wind energy lease sales through 2028, including Oregon’s. That’s in addition to the eight already approved offshore wind projects throughout the U.S, two of which are under construction.
In Oregon, the federal agency is seeking feedback on certain lease provisions and conditions, auction details, criteria for evaluating competing bids and procedures for lease award, appeals, and lease stipulations and execution.
It proposes, among others, to award bidding credits to companies that commit to supporting workforce training programs for the offshore wind industry and/or to buying U.S.-made offshore floating equipment. Similarly, bidding credits could also be given to companies that commit to executing community benefit agreements with tribes, local communities, ocean users or other groups affected by the wind projects.
The agency also issued a draft environmental assessment of potential impacts associated with site surveying and other preliminary activities by companies that win the leases.
More specific environmental assessments associated with specific wind farm construction proposals will follow the lease awards, federal officials said.
Winning companies will anchor up to six buoys with weather measurement devices such as vanes and barometers at fixed locations in the wind energy areas. The devices will gather a variety of data and monitor and evaluate the viability of wind as an energy source in the areas.
The companies also will dredge the seafloor for sediment samples and survey the seafloor to ensure that mooring systems, turbines and cables can be properly located, as well as look for hazards. They also will conduct biological surveys to collect data on potentially affected habitats, marine mammals, birds, sea turtles and fish.
According to the draft assessment, the impact of this preliminary work to critical habitat, protected marine mammals, birds and sea turtle species will be negligible. The assessment also found that the buoys and related activities could temporarily limit commercial fishing grounds and entangle gear but the impact would be minor.
The duration of the preliminary work would be five years or less, the assessment said.
Local groups representing coastal fishermen and Indigenous communities have long raised concerns about how offshore wind farms would restrict fishing areas, affect marine life and impair the views that are sacred to tribes. The fishing groups and tribes also said the federal consultation process has been superficial and the government did not take their concerns into account.
“They claim they have collaborated with us, which is completely false,” Heather Mann, executive director of Midwater Trawlers Cooperative, told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “BOEM only cares about getting these leases out before the election. This announcement is a huge slap in the face to fishermen, coastal communities and everyone who cares about doing this process right, not about rushing to meet a political deadline.”
In March, the Legislature passed House Bill 4080, which established strong labor standards for Oregon offshore wind development and directed the state Department of Land Conservation and Development to create a roadmap that would consider all benefits and ramifications of offshore wind energy development. That roadmap must be submitted to the Legislature by September 2025.
Last week, an informal working group of Oregon fishing industry, environmental and labor interests delivered recommendations to Gov. Tina Kotek’s office for the offshore wind roadmap.
Among the recommendations is that the state develop offshore wind while protecting the fishing and seafood industry, cultural and archaeological resources and culturally significant views for tribes.
John Romero, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, did not address the criticism from fisheries and tribes. The agency said it engaged the tribes, local communities and other stakeholders in the lease development process and prioritized avoiding offshore fishing grounds and identifying vessel transit routes when selecting the wind energy areas.
The public can comment on the environmental assessment until May 31. A virtual public meeting will also be held on Tuesday, May 21.
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