$3.2B (and counting) bid in largest US offshore wind auction

$3.2B (and counting) bid in largest US offshore wind auction

FILE - In this Aug. 15, 2016 file photo, three of Deepwater Wind's five turbines stand in the water off Block Island, R.I. On June 3, 2021, Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind announced a study with Rutgers University and the New Jersey clam industry of how offshore wind energy projects might impact the clam industry over the next 30 years.(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The largest auction of offshore wind sites in the nation’s history is drawing strong interest from companies in an indication of the industry’s potential. At the end of the second day of the auction by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, bids had exceeded $3.2 billion on six tracts of ocean floor off New York and New Jersey. When fully developed, these sites could provide enough energy to power 2 million homes. More than $1.5 billion worth of bids were received Wednesday on the first day of the auction. Officials said it is possible bidding could extend into a third day, given the strong response thus far.

Photo: FILE – In this Aug. 15, 2016 file photo, three of Deepwater Wind’s five turbines stand in the water off Block Island, R.I. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)