Floating Wind Energy Project Proposed off Hawaii
Image: BOEM
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has received another unsolicited lease request for an offshore wind resource development project off Oahu, Hawaii.
With this latest request, BOEM has now received a total of three unsolicited wind energy lease requests from two potential developers: two lease requests from AW Hawaii Wind, LLC (AWH), the AWH Oahu Northwest Project and the AWH Oahu South Project; and one from Progression Hawaii Offshore Wind, Inc. (Progression), the Progression South Coast of Oahu Project. Each project proposes an offshore floating wind energy facility with a capacity of approximately 400 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy. The energy generated by the projects would be transmitted to Oahu by undersea cables.
BOEM said it has already completed a review of the unsolicited lease request from the second applicant, Progression Hawaii Offshore Wind, Inc., and has deemed the request complete and confirmed that the company is legally, technically and financially qualified to pursue an offshore wind energy lease.
After receiving an unsolicited lease request and verifying potential lessee qualifications, BOEM said its next step is typically to publish a Request for Interest to determine if there is competitive interest in the areas requested. However, since two developers have submitted lease requests offshore Oahu, the next step is to publish a Call for Information and Nominations to initiate the competitive planning and leasing process.
