US issues floating wind research lease to state of Maine

(Reuters) - The Biden administration on Monday issued an offshore wind lease to the state of Maine for a small project that will demonstrate floating turbine technology off the U.S. East Coast.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

U.S. President Joe Biden has championed offshore wind as a key pillar of his climate change agenda. His Interior Department has set a goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030, and 15 GW of floating capacity by 2035.

Wind turbines that float on the ocean's surface are an emerging technology necessary for projects off the coasts of California, Oregon and Maine, where the depth of the water precludes the use of standard, fixed equipment.

BY THE NUMBERS

The lease area covers 9,700 acres (3,920 hectares) and is 28 nautical miles (52 kilometers) from shore.

The area could accommodate up to 12 floating offshore wind turbines that could generate about 144 megawatts of electricity.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Construction on the research array is not expected to occur for several years, the Interior Department said.

The lease will allow researchers to gather information to inform future commercial floating offshore wind development.

Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is expected to hold an auction for a commercial offshore wind lease in the Gulf of Maine later this year.

KEY QUOTE

"Floating wind opens up opportunities to produce renewable energy in deeper water farther offshore," bureau Director Elizabeth Klein said in a statement. "Signing the Gulf of Maine research lease demonstrates the commitment by both BOEM and the State of Maine to promote a clean energy future for the nation."

(Reporting by Nichola Groom; editing by Jonathan Oatis)