Largest offshore wind area in U.S. goes on sale today

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Environment America Research & Policy Center

Washington, DC — Today the U.S. Department of the Interior will auction an area about the size of Rhode Island to offshore wind developers, the largest such competitive lease sale ever in the United States. The area off the southern coast of Massachusetts could house enough wind turbines to power 700,000 homes, and its sale triples the total area available for commercial offshore wind development in the United States. Environment America’s Rob Sargent issued the following statement in response:

“We have vast untapped potential to power the Eastern Seaboard with pollution-free wind energy, and now the first wind turbines are closer than ever to spinning off our nation’s shores. While special interests spent unprecedented millions to thwart progress on the Cape Wind project, today’s action makes clear that offshore wind can be a key part of America’s energy future. Now it’s up to Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and other leaders on Beacon Hill to match the Obama Administration’s leadership when it comes to offshore wind.”