"NEW ORLEANS — The Biden administration on Friday designated four tracts of federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico off the Texas and Louisiana coasts for development of wind energy.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announcement follows the first Gulf sale of leases for wind development earlier this year. That sale drew a $5.6 million bid from one company for one Gulf tract — a modest start for wind energy in the Gulf, which lags behind the Northeast in offshore wind power development.

The agency said its next step will be to issue a formal notice for a proposed lease sale, which will be followed by a 60-day public comment period."

Kevin McGill reports for the Associated Press October 27, 2023. [2]