BOEM has identified the wind energy areas offshore North Carolina running to approximately 307,590 acres.
These areas include the Kitty Hawk Wind Energy Area (about 122,405 acres), the Wilmington West Wind Energy Area (about 51,595 acres), and the Wilmington East Wind Energy Area (about 133,590 acres).
The lease sale is part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to develop clean energy resources and cut down carbon emissions.
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) director Abigail Hopper released the EA supporting the potential lease sale.
Jewell said: "No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change, and today’s announcement marks yet another milestone in the President’s strategy to develop renewable energy, create American jobs and strengthen the nation’s energy security future.
"In close coordination with our partners in North Carolina, we are moving forward to determine what places make sense to harness the enormous wind energy potential off the Atlantic seaboard."
Public feedback is being sought on the EA.
The latest announcement accelerates BOEM’s efforts to develop offshore wind projects through a collaborative state-federal process as per which wind energy areas would be identified and then these areas would be put up for competitive lease sales.
Till date, BOEM has awarded seven commercial wind energy leases off the Atlantic coast. Of this, two are non-competitive leases – Cape Wind in Nantucket Sound off Massachusetts and an area off Delaware; and five are competitive leases – two offshore Massachusetts-Rhode Island, two offshore Maryland and another offshore Virginia.
These competitive lease sales have generated over $14m through bids for over 357,000 acres in federal waters.
In 2015, BOEM is likely to hold two more competitive lease sale auctions – one of the Massachusetts lease sale on January 29, and the other of New Jersey lease sale later this year.
