Today, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D. submitted a letter in opposition to the Biden Administration's second proposal for an offshore wind energy sale. The proposed auction, spearheaded by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) covers four offshore areas in the Gulf of Mexico, totaling 410,060 acres.
"As Texas Land Commissioner, I am charged with determining whether granting an easement to access state-owned submerged land for transmission lines to shore is in Texas’ best interest. Right now, I see significant economic, practical, and environmental concerns,” said Commissioner Buckingham. “The Biden Administration appears hellbent on force-feeding Americans failed ‘green’ policies. On my watch, I will never allow the federal government to endanger the people of Texas and our state’s beautiful wildlife with untested, unproven, and ineffective technology when reliable, clean, and safe energy is already available."
In her letter, she notes, "Unfortunately for the Biden administration, offshore wind projects just don't seem to pencil out. Last year, BOEM auctioned approximately 200,000 acres for wind leases off the coast of Texas and received zero bids."