The U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced on Sept. 27 that it is delaying the planned auction of two wind energy areas offshore of Oregon because of a lack of interest.
Earlier that day, Gov. Tina Kotek asked the federal government to cancel the wind auction set for Oct. 15 in southern Oregon and threatened to withdraw from a federal wind energy task force, citing concerns that the federal agency has rushed the process.
In a letter to BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein, the governor asked the agency to “halt all current leasing activities off the coast of Oregon and terminate the current offshore wind auction.”
Kotek also said the state will withdraw from an intergovernmental task force as it completes a “roadmap” process to “fully understand the risks and opportunities inherent” in the emerging industry.
She said that BOEM’s accelerated process over the past year has contributed to growing opposition among stakeholders, even among staunch allies of the alternative energy movement.
BOEM has “divided stakeholder communities and put the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians in the position of challenging BOEM in federal district court,” Kotek said.
The announcement that BOEM had delayed the auction led the confederated tribes to “reconsider” their litigation against BOEM, which was filed on Sept. 16. That suit asked the court to stop BOEM from holding the auction for the Oregon coast until it has a better understanding of the “impacts to fish, wildlife, the marine environment, and cultural resources important to the Tribes,” Tribal Council chair Brad Kneaper wrote in a statement.
“The timeframe for wind development appears to be driven by politics, rather than what is best for Coastal residents and the environment,” he said.
Oregon’s legislative Coastal Caucus is likewise now in “full opposition to BOEM’s proposed lease,” Kotek said.
In recent weeks, Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) have also denounced BOEM’s approach.
“Oregonians living and working on the coast expect far better from federal agencies than to get steamrolled from 3,000 miles away on decisions directly affecting their livelihoods,” Senate Finance chair Wyden wrote in an email shared with The Epoch Times.
In a Sept. 19 letter, Protect U.S. Fishermen, a coalition of Oregon coastal interests, urged Kotek to formally ask BOEM to postpone the auction, saying there is “no benefit to Oregon or Oregonians for rushing forward” and asking her to reject “fast-tracking” of ocean development.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced on Sept. 18 that he has decided not to request a federal offshore wind planning process with BOEM at this time. Inslee’s 2020 presidential campaign was centered around identifying climate change as “the most urgent challenge of our time.”
Offshore Goals
The Biden administration wants to build 30 gigawatts of fixed-bottom offshore wind energy by 2030—enough to power more than 10 million homes—and another 15 gigawatts of floating wind turbines by 2035.Successfully deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind could help power 10 million homes with energy, support 77,000 jobs, avoid 78 million metric tons of CO2 emissions, and spur $12 billion per year in private investment in offshore wind projects, according to the White House.
The administration expects the Oregon areas to generate more than 3.1 gigawatts of power if fully developed—enough energy for about 1 million homes.
Floating wind farms along a 200-mile stretch of ocean off the coast of southern Oregon and northern California “could potentially triple the Pacific Northwest’s wind power capacity,” according to a statement from PNNL.
BOEM said it will continue to explore opportunities for a future lease sale in Oregon in collaboration with representatives from federal, state, and local agencies and tribal governments.
