U.S. to grant leases for sea wind farms

WASHINGTON -- The Biden administration Friday announced that it would begin the formal process of selling leases to develop offshore wind farms in shallow waters between Long Island, N.Y., and New Jersey as part of its push to transition the nation to renewable energy.

The proposed sale, the first of the Biden administration, includes eight lease areas in the New York Bight, a triangular area in the Atlantic Ocean between Cape May in New Jersey and Montauk Point on the eastern tip of Long Island. Administration officials estimated wind turbines there could generate more than 7 gigawatts of electricity -- enough to power more than 2.6 million homes.

The move is part of efforts by the Biden administration to jump-start the country's offshore wind sector. Last month, it gave final approval to the nation's first commercial-scale offshore wind farm off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, Mass., and said it would open California's coast to wind farms.

That contrasts sharply with former President Donald Trump, who disparaged wind turbines, claiming that they destroyed property values, caused cancer and killed birds.

"Climate change poses an existential threat, not just to our environment, but to our health, our communities, and our economic well-being," Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. She called the development of offshore wind and other renewable energy resources "an important piece of addressing this reality."

According to a Department of the Interior map, the areas slated for potential offshore wind development are roughly 14 miles off the coast of New York and about 26 miles from New Jersey. That distance makes it unlikely that wind turbines will be visible from land but officials noted that details will be more clear when companies file proposals, and that could be years from now.

But the fishing industry says that the wind farms will conflict with prime areas where scallops, clams and other seafood are caught, and that the federal government has ignored its concerns.

Upcoming Events