The United States launches the largest auction to operate wind generators in the seas of New York and New Jersey


The United States launched a public auction on Wednesday for the operation of offshore wind generators in six areas located along the coasts of the states of New York and New Jerseythe largest operation of this type ever carried out in the country.

Starting at $48.8 million, the auctions had reached $617 million by midday after 11 rounds.

These could last until Friday, according to the agency that oversees the process, the Office of Ocean Energy Management (Boem).

The six proposed zones represent more than 2,000 square kilometers (488,000 acres) in a triangular sector called the New York Bight. At their maximum output, these should provide 7 gigawatts, the electricity needed for 2 million homes.

About 25 companies were authorized to participate in the operation, including European specialists such as Avangrid Renewables, Equinor ASA or EDF Renewables Development, as well as US groups such as Invenergy and Arevia Power.

The operation represents a milestone “because it is the first auction organized by the federal government since 2018,” said Lesley Jantarasami, an energy sector specialist at the Bipartisan Policy Center think tank.

The Joe Biden administration made a commitment shortly after his inauguration to create the conditions to produce 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030.

“For a long time, everyone has been saying that this form of energy is about to take off, as there are many investors and European companies are ready to participate,” the expert explained.

“But we had not seen the federal government take concrete steps to make it a reality. People want to see the projects move forward,” he added.

Eleven companies had participated in auctions in 2018 for the exploitation of three lots representing 1,578.2 square kilometers (about 390,000 acres) near Massachusetts. Three of them won the auction for a total of 405 million dollars after 32 rounds.



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