The federal government is considering leasing an area off the shore of Oregon for a floating wind energy project. This story from North American Windpower says the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will determine the competitive interest in leasing the area for the proposed Principle Power Inc. project.
According to BOEM, Principle Power’s proposed WindFloat Pacific Project, which would be located about 16 nautical miles west of Coos Bay, Ore., in about 1,200 feet of water, is designed to generate 30 MW of electricity from five “WindFloat” units, each equipped with a 6 MW offshore wind turbine. The proposed lease area covers about 15 square miles.
BOEM says it must assess whether there are other parties interested in developing commercial wind facilities in the same area in order to determine whether it is appropriate to issue a lease on a non-competitive basis, or whether a competitive process is required.
In addition to inquiring about competitive interest, BOEM is seeking public comment on the proposal, its potential environmental consequences, and the use of the area in which the proposed project would be located.
Last year, Principle Power received a U.S. Department of Energy grant to explore offshore wind projects in state and federal waters.
Over the next year, BOEM expects to hold more competitive auctions for wind energy leases off the shores of Maryland, New Jersey and Massachusetts.