TotalEnergies and Duke Energy win second offshore wind auction in the U.S.

TotalEnergies and Duke Energy have won the second offshore wind auction held in the United States this week for the Carolina Long Bay area.

The leases awarded to the two companies could result in about 1.3 GW of offshore wind power, enough to power about 500,000 homes and has brought in $315 million in revenue for the country, marking another step in the Biden-Harris administration's strategy to deploy 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.

"The Biden-Harris administration is moving forward at the pace and scale necessary to help achieve the President's goals of making offshore wind a reality for the United States," said Secretary Deb Haaland. "Together, with a whole-of-government approach, we can combat the effects of climate change while creating good-paying union jobs that can benefit underserved communities. Today's lease sale is further proof that there is strong industry interest and that America's clean energy transition is here."

President Biden catalyzed the offshore wind industry by announcing the nation's first national goal. This goal is reinforced by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which will mean historic investments to build a better America with clean energy, resilient infrastructure and strong domestic manufacturing and supply chains.

The Carolina Long Bay offshore wind auction included a new 20% credit for bidders who committed to make a monetary contribution to programs or initiatives that support workforce training programs for the offshore wind industry, the development of a U.S. domestic supply chain for the offshore wind industry, or both. This appropriation will provide $42 million for these critical programs or initiatives.

"This auction puts real dollars on the table to support the economic growth of offshore wind development - including the jobs that come with it," said BOEM Director Amanda Lefton. "The new bidding credit in the Carolina Long Bay auction will translate into tangible investments for workforce and business training in the United States, to ultimately create U.S. jobs across the industries needed to support the achievement of our offshore wind energy goals."

Winners must also identify tribal nations, underserved communities, agencies, ocean users and other stakeholders, and report on their communication and engagement activities with these parties. These stipulations are intended to promote offshore wind energy development in a manner that coexists with other ocean uses, addresses potential impacts and benefits, and protects the ocean environment while facilitating our nation's energy future for generations to come.

The Carolina Long Bay offshore wind auction allowed companies to bid on one or both of the two lease zones within the East Wilmington Wind Energy Area, as described in the Notice of Final Sale. The two lease areas have similar acreage, distance from the coast and wind resource potential.

Before the leases are finalized, the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission will conduct an antitrust review of the auction, and the interim winners will be required to pay any balance of the winning bids and provide a financial guarantee to BOEM.

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