Opportunities
Credit: NREL
US offshore wind resources in areas suited to floating exceed resources in areas suited to fixed foundations. Near- and medium-term opportunities for floating wind development in US waters include:
Pacific Coast – Northern California & Oregon
Outstanding offshore wind resources and ambitious state renewable energy goals
Two federal Wind Energy Areas, encompassing a total of five leases, off California and two federal Call Areas, under evaluation for designation of additional leases, off Oregon
Continuing federal and state analysis of adding additional floating wind farm sites and transmission off California and Oregon
Magellan recently concluded work under a California-focused joint development agreement with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the winner of one of the California Leases.
Atlantic Coast – Gulf of Maine & New York Bight
Mid-Atlantic and Northeast States have committed to ambitious electricity decarbonization and offshore wind procurement goals
Harnessing abundant deep water offshore wind resources in these regions can reduce renewable energy siting conflicts and advance climate goals
Federal officials, after consultations with officials from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, have issued a call for information and nominations to assess possible floating wind lease sites in the Gulf of Maine
Federal and state authorities are carefully analyzing possible deep-water lease sites in the New York Bight
Great Lakes Region
High population and electricity use, increasing climate mitigation ambitions, relatively weak solar and land-based wind resources, and increasing challenges to siting of land-based renewable energy projects
State control of lakebed leasing, allowing offshore wind development on terms that advance ratepayer and environmental interests
Foundation design challenges stemming from surface ice and size limits on vessels and cargo that can move through the Great Lakes lock system
Credit: NASA
