Ocean Winds, the company formed by EDP and Engie, together with RWE, the Copenhagen Infrastructure fund, Equinor and Invenergy have been the winners of the first floating offshore wind auction in the United States with the capacity to develop up to 4.5 GW in projects, which would involve an investment of more than 10 billion euros and enough capacity to supply 1.5 million homes.
The US Department of the Interior has just announced the results of its third major offshore wind auction this year and the first in the Pacific region. According to the US government, bidding totaled $757.1 million, far exceeding the first auctions held in the Atlantic. The auction is seen as critical to achieving the Biden-Harris administration's deployment goals of 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030 and 15 GW of floating offshore wind by 2035.
"The California auction's innovative bidding credits will translate into tangible investments for the U.S. floating offshore wind workforce and supply chain, and benefits for tribes, communities and ocean users potentially impacted by future offshore wind activities. This auction commits substantial investment to support the economic growth of floating offshore wind development, including the jobs that come with it," said BOEM Director Amanda Lefton. "These credits and the additional lease stipulations demonstrate BOEM's commitment to the responsible growth of the offshore wind industry to achieve our offshore wind energy goals."
The lease sale offered five areas covering 373,268 total acres off central and northern California.
Iberdrola, Acciona and Ferrovial had also been interested in participating in the auctions but were ultimately unsuccessful.