An upcoming offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico includes for the first time a provision to allow hydrogen production from the electricity generated at the proposed offshore wind farms.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is holding meetings later this month to gather input on the Proposed Sale Notice for the possible second Gulf of Mexico offshore wind lease sale.
“BOEM has made revisions to the lease to explicitly include the production of hydrogen or other energy products using wind turbine generators on the lease,” according to the notice, which was published in the Federal Register in March, initiating a 60-day public comment period. “BOEM welcomes feedback on these changes and whether additional changes are necessary to fully accommodate hydrogen production.”
The agency is proposing four areas offshore Louisiana and Texas, totaling 410,060 acres on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
BOEM held an offshore wind auction seminar on April 10, 2024, for prospective bidders, which was open to the public.
