The federal government is halting sales of floating offshore wind leases along the Oregon coast

PORTLAND, Ore. — The federal government postponed an auction for floating offshore wind farm leases off the Oregon coast on Friday after developers said they would not bid and the state’s governor demanded a halt to all leasing activity.

The Office of Ocean Energy Management has not set a new sale date. It said the decision to postpone the sale scheduled for October 15 was made due to “currently insufficient interest from bidders.”

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek wrote to the agency shortly before the announcement, asking for an end to the current auction, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. Kotek cited growing concerns from coastal and fishing communities, tribes and others.

Some fear construction will harm marine life, marine habitats, culturally significant areas and ocean views. The Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, whose culture is connected to the ocean, sued the federal government.

In the face of growing opposition, the number of companies planning to apply for a lease has dropped.

Five companies qualified to submit offers. Mainstream Renewable Power Inc., one of the five, told Oregon Public Broadcasting this week that it would no longer participate. Two others told The Oregonian/OregonLive they, too, are withdrawing.

The Office of Ocean Energy Management said Friday that it will continue to work with government agencies and tribal governments, as well as support ongoing processes to engage with interested parties to identify future opportunities for potential lease sales.

There are only a few offshore floating sets in the world. California awarded the first-ever lease in the U.S. to build commercial-scale floating wind farms in 2022. In August, the federal government issued the state of Maine the nation’s first lease for floating offshore wind research.

In Oregon, plans for floating wind farms cover two 305-square-mile (790-square-kilometer) areas off the state’s southern coast. Both areas are 32 miles (52 km) from the coast of Coos Bay and 18 miles (29 km) from the small town of Brookings, near the California state line.