Federal Government Staging Wind Power Lease Auction In July

When it comes to the search for renewable energy, private companies and governments alike have been looking for the answer. Last week, the United States department of the Interior have announced that they will be holding an auction on July 31. That auction will provide the winners with wind power leases in the waters off Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The auction will involve more than 160 acres in an area known as Area of Mutual Interest.

This auction is the first of its kind by the United States and seems to be the latest in a series of moves to make the country look more friendly to green technology. The German government, as well as other European and Asian nations are well ahead of the US when it comes to fully embracing renewable energy sources. The fact that America is making this move at all, is still seen as a positive to environmentalists who have been looking for official moves towards new tech.

The offshore leases that are being given out are the first offshore leases that will be geared towards renewable energy specifically that have been allowed in federal waters. In a recent statement talking about the impending auction, the secretary of the Interior underlined the importance of going through this process.

"Today we are moving closer to tapping into the enormous potential offered by offshore wind to create jobs, increase our sustainability, and strengthen our nation's competitiveness in this new energy frontier." Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said. The Secretary added that the government is well aware that there are now record oil and gas production on the domestic side. In order to fight that the department knows that they need to speed up the process of developing alternative energy productions such as windpower. Jewell believes this auction is the first step in a larger plan.