US aims to host second offshore round on west coast, testing appetite for floating projects in new areas
BOEM has published the FSN (Final Sales Notice) for the Oregon offshore wind lease round, offering two floating project sites to interested developers, Brookings (up to 2.1 GW) and Coos Bay (up to 1.0 GW). The bidding round, scheduled for October 15, will be the second offshore wind round on the US west coast, following a competitive round for sites off the coast of California in late 2022.
Five developers have expressed interest in the sites and are qualified to take part in the bidding round, including:
Avangrid Renewables
BlueFloat Energy
Ocean Winds
Mainstream Renewables
South Coast Energy Waters I
Although a list of experienced developers looking to partake in the round, the interest is significantly lower than for the California rounds, where 31 companies were qualified to bid.
Market dynamics have shifted since 2022, with increased cost and interest rates, less profitability in projects, and more areas developer can pick and choose from to establish themselves. The Oregon round will test developers’ appetite for new projects in areas little explored by the industry.
Image Source: BOEM
Map: Esgian Wind Analytics