66% of GoM wind farms slashed

The Gulf of Mexico’s (GoM) first slate of offshore wind farms will have way less space than the federal government proposed late last year. A new wind energy lease sale plan released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) slashed the GoM’s offshore wind energy development areas by around 66%, potentially reducing the number of jobs and clean energy leaders had hoped would be generated. BOEM’s decision to cut the size is aimed at easing possible conflicts with the GoM's other users: O&G, shipping companies and the military. The Louisiana boundary includes a 102,000-acres south of Lake Charles; plus two off Galveston, Texas, that will likely be trimmed into one zone across about 100,000 acres. The numbers are a substantial reduction from 682,000 acres BOEM proposed in October. (NOLA.com 02/23/23) Feds slash Gulf's first offshore wind farm areas | Environment | nola.com