US DoI plans just a few offshore oil sales in support of wind leasing

The US Department of the Interior is proposing the fewest offshore oil and gas lease sales in history for the 2024–2029 National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Programme in a move that will support the continued growth of the offshore wind programme.

The proposed final programme includes three potential oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico Program Area planned in 2025, 2027 and 2029, which is the minimum number allowing the Interior Department to keep expanding its offshore wind leasing programme through 2030.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) prohibits the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) from issuing an offshore wind lease unless the agency has made available at least 60 million acres for oil and gas leasing on the OCS in the previous year, the department explained on Friday.

The 2024-2029 proposed programme represents a significant reduction from the previous administration’s original proposal of 47 lease sales off all US coastal areas over a five-year span.

“The Proposed Final Program, which represents the smallest number of oil and gas lease sales in history, sets a course for the Department to support the growing offshore wind industry and protect against the potential for environmental damage and adverse impacts to coastal communities,” stated Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.

The programme will be finalised after a 60-day waiting period.

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