Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Acting Director Walter Cruickshank earlier this week announced that more than 742,000 acres offshore Massachusetts will be offered for commercial wind energy development in a January 29, 2015, competitive lease sale.  The move — believed to be DOI’s largest competitive lease sale to date for offshore wind energy development — is part of President Obama’s comprehensive Climate Action Plan to create American jobs, develop domestic clean energy resources and cut carbon pollution,

“This sale will triple the amount of federal offshore acreage available for commercial-scale wind energy projects, bringing Massachusetts to the forefront of our nation’s new energy frontier,» said Governor Patrick.

Twelve companies have qualified to participate in the auction for the Massachusetts Wind Energy Area. Among them: Deepwater Wind New England, LLC; EDF Renewable Development, Inc; Energy Management, Inc; Fisherman’s Energy, LLC; Green Sail Energy, LLC; Iberdrola Renewables, Inc; NRG Bluewater Wind Massachusetts, LLC; Offshore MW, LLC; RES America Developments, Inc; Sea Breeze Energy, LLC; US Mainstream Renewable Power (Offshore), Inc; and US Wind, Inc.