“Not only have I raised these concerns earlier this year to BOEM without a response, but I now also have extreme reservations about leasing vast swaths of the Gulf of Mexico to a company that apparently has no experience operating a single offshore wind turbine."
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – Today, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D. submitted a second letter opposing the Biden-Harris Administration's third proposal for an offshore wind energy lease. The new proposal, spearheaded by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), is to lease approximately 142,528 acres directly to Hecate Energy Gulf Wind LLC.
This latest proposal follows the cancellation of the larger Gulf of Mexico Wind Auction 2 due to a lack of commercial interest. Commissioner Buckingham submitted comments opposing that proposal on April 29, 2024.
"As Texas Land Commissioner, I am charged with determining whether granting an easement to access state-owned submerged land for transmission lines to shore is in the best interest of Texas. I continue to see significant economic, practical, and environmental concerns regarding a wind farm in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Commissioner Buckingham.
“Not only have I raised these concerns earlier this year to BOEM without a response, but I now also have extreme reservations about leasing vast swaths of the Gulf of Mexico to a company that apparently has no experience operating a single offshore wind turbine."
In her letter, Commissioner Buckingham notes, “…Hurricane Beryl struck the Texas Coast, causing an estimated $28-$32 billion in economic losses. Hurricane Beryl passed directly through the path of the proposed Hecate leases and would have wrought havoc on a wind farm… It's clear the responsibility will inevitably fall upon the GLO and the Texas taxpayers to shoulder the burden with respect to pollution, debris, and impacts to Texas waters and beaches resulting from these wind farms.”
