The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Recommends Four Final Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) in the Gulf of Mexico
For Immediate Release: October 27, 2023
Media Contact: Jenny Netherton, jennyn@sewind.org
New Orleans, LA – Today, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced four final Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) in the Gulf of Mexico region. This announcement marks a major milestone towards achieving Louisiana’s goal of 5 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2035.
The final WEAs are as follows:
- WEA Option J is located 76 kilometers off the coast of Texas, covers a total of 495,567 acres, and has the potential to power 2.1 million homes
- WEA Option K is located 98 kilometers off the coast of TX and 133 kilometers off the coast of Louisiana, covers a total of 119,635 acres, and has the potential to power 500,000 homes
- WEA Option L is located 85 kilometers off the coast of Texas, covers a total of 91,000 acres, and has the capacity to power 387,000 homes
- WEA Option N is located 132 kilometers off the coast of Louisiana, covers a total of 56,000 acres, and has the potential to power 242,000 homes
SEWC’s Senior Program Manager, Jenny Netherton, released the following statement regarding the announcement of the four Final WEAs: “SEWC applauds BOEM’s efforts to advance offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico, especially in Louisiana. This Final WEA announcement illustrates BOEM’s receptivity to stakeholder requests for additional WEAs closer to Louisiana in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. SEWC also applauds BOEM for pursuing a programmatic Environmental Assessment for the Gulf of Mexico Call Area, which allowed for a streamlined review process. We look forward to continued collaboration between BOEM and federal agencies to ensure that stakeholder impacts are considered while we work to reach Louisiana’s goal of 5 GW of offshore wind by 2035.
About SEWC
The Southeastern Wind Coalition is a 501(c)3 that works to advance the land-based and offshore wind industry in the Southeast. We focus on providing fact-based information on the economic and environmental opportunities of wind energy, and encourage solutions that result in net economic benefits to residents and ratepayers. For more information about the Southeastern Wind Coalition visit www.sewind.org.
