DOI Announces Final Sale Notice for Three Areas Available for Commercial Wind Energy Leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico

On July 21, 2023, DOI announced a Final Sale Notice for three areas available for commercial wind energy leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico. BOEM provided lease conditions, auction details, the lease form, criteria for evaluating bids, and procedures for award, appeal, and lease execution. Lease Sale 259 was held on March 29, 2023, and at least one lease from the sale has been issued, which satisfies the requirements in section 50265(b)(2) of the IRA, which provides that the Secretary may not issue a lease for offshore wind development under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act unless an offshore oil and gas lease sale has been held during the 1-year period ending on the date of the issuance of the lease for offshore wind development, with the sum total of acres offered for lease in offshore lease sales during the 1-year period surpassing 60,000,000 acres. BOEM will hold an online mock auction starting at 8:00am CT on August 28, 2023. The monetary auction will be held online and will begin at 8:00am CT on August 29, 2023.