US holds Oregon offshore wind auction after governor’s protest By Reuters

(Reuters) – The Biden administration canceled a planned auction of offshore wind development rights off the Oregon coast on Friday after the state’s governor said he did not support the sale.

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, a division of the Interior Department, cited insufficient interest from industry in a news release. The sale had been scheduled for October 15.

But earlier Friday, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek sent a letter to BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein calling for a halt to offshore wind leasing off the Oregon coast.

Kotek cited broad concerns from labor, fisheries, conservation and renewable energy groups and said the state needs more time to complete an offshore wind “roadmap” process required by a state law passed in the beginning of this year.

“I remain convinced that offshore wind holds exciting promise to be part of our nation’s clean energy future, but in Oregon, meaningful action must be done the Oregon way,” Kotek said in the letter.