HOUSTON — The Gulf of Mexico’s first offshore wind farms will be developed off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana, the Biden administration announced Wednesday, and together they’re projected to produce enough energy to power around 3 million homes.
“It’s exciting to see offshore wind in the Gulf getting closer to reality,” said Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas, an environmental protection group. “With strong winds in the evenings when we need energy the most, offshore wind in the Gulf of Mexico would greatly complement Texas’ onshore renewable energy resources, help bolster our shaky electric grid and help our environment.
ERCOT forecasters said they typically don’t expect a lot of wind energy during hot summer days because during summer winds tend to be stronger at night. Metzger and energy analysts said companies are interested in developing offshore wind projects in Texas, but it’s too early to tell how quickly they will be built and how much they will cost.
Leaders in neighboring Louisiana have been actively working to attract wind energy production. Louisiana’s most recent, released in February, set a goal of generating 5 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2035, which could power millions of homes there. Texas does not have a state climate plan.
What a waste.