The wind energy industry strongly signaled this week that it is ready to produce more renewable electricity for America, and that it’s optimistic about the direction of the election in November.
On Wednesday, the Interior Department held an auction for the right to develop offshore wind farms. The bids were watched closely, not just because these were desirable, shallow-water sites off the coast of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, but also because the last such auction—a Gulf of Mexico auction in July—was canceled due to lack of interest.
Part of the disinterest in that July auction came from lower-quality winds in the lease area. But it was also due to Donald Trump’s May announcement that should he return to the White House, he would cancel offshore wind projects “on day one.”
However, in this latest auction, bids came in at about $93 million. Those bids calmed a lot of fears about the industry’s future. And they show which way the wind is blowing since Vice President Kamala Harris entered this year’s presidential race.