Network Statement on New Wind Energy Areas in Gulf of Mexico

The Business Network for Offshore Wind, the leading organization working to accelerate offshore wind energy deployment and build a dedicated domestic supply chain, welcomes the announcement by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) of four new Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) in the Gulf of Mexico. These four finalized WEAs cover an area of 56,978 acres offshore Louisiana and 706,359 acres offshore Texas, providing enough space to support offshore wind projects powering more than three million homes. The projects hosted by these new areas could allow the Gulf of Mexico region to further solidify its position in the offshore wind industry, bringing even more opportunity to a region already heavily involved in the national supply chain. This involvement was highlighted in the Network’s report, Unlocking the Gulf of Mexico’s Offshore Wind Energy Potential, published in August. 

The following statement can be attributed to John Begala, vice president of federal and state policy at the Business Network for Offshore Wind:  

“The Network welcomes the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to building an offshore wind industry in the Gulf of Mexico. With nearly a quarter of U.S. market contracts going to Gulf firms, the area is already the engine for U.S. offshore wind industry; building a robust pipeline of projects will further unlock the true potential of the region’s supply chain capacity. Gulf expertise in offshore construction is unparalleled, and innovative solutions developed there will continue to drive not just the U.S. but the global offshore wind industry forward.”  

Business Network for Offshore Wind | offshorewindus.org