Two offshore wind power auctions in the Gulf of Mexico got no bids : The Indicator from Planet Money - NPR
Two offshore wind power auctions in the Gulf of Mexico got no bids : The Indicator from Planet Money : NPR
Why offshore wind is facing headwinds
GRAND ISLE, LA - AUGUST 24: Brown pelicans, the state bird of Louisiana, fly overhead as a fishing trawler moves through the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Grand Isle, Louisiana on August 24, 2019. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption
GRAND ISLE, LA - AUGUST 24: Brown pelicans, the state bird of Louisiana, fly overhead as a fishing trawler moves through the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Grand Isle, Louisiana on August 24, 2019. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Drew Angerer/Getty Images
The Gulf of Mexico saw its first-ever auction of leases for offshore wind this summer. It was another sign of the Biden administration's desire to get more renewable energy online as fast as possible. Expectations were high for the sale with over a dozen companies expressing interest. But two of the three patches of sea didn't get any bids at all.
Today, we look at one clean energy experiment and see what choke points remain for offshore wind.
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Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: wind
Decades of government support for the development of wind energy has resulted in lower costs and a rapidly growing share of electricity generated by wind turbines. Wind in 2019 accounted for 7.3 percent of electrical generation, surpassing for the first time hydropower at 7.0 percent.