The Seattle-based offshore wind developer, Trident Winds Inc., has submitted an unsolicited lease request to the US Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM) for a commercial lease to pursue the permitting, development, construction, operation, and maintenance of the first floating offshore wind farm off the coast of Washington State.
The Olympic Wind project is planned to be sited 43 miles off the coast of the Olympic Peninsula and over 40 miles off the coast of Grays Harbor. The wind farm will have a capacity of approximately 2,000 MW.
” The Olympic Wind project is poised to be the first floating, commercial scale offshore wind installation off the coast of Washington State,” said Trident Winds CEO, Alla Weinstein .
”The project will harness our unlimited, carbon-free offshore wind resources for the benefit of all Washingtonians. We believe strongly that all voices matter and look forward to working with stakeholders to form strong partnerships that maximize benefits for surrounding communities.”
With the submission of the unsolicited lease request for the Olympic Wind project, BOEM will conduct an initial review to confirm the applicant meets the agency’s legal, technical, and financial qualifications to hold a lease on the Outer Continental Shelf for commercial offshore wind energy development.
Following confirmation of qualifications, BOEM will issue a public notice of a request for interest to determine if competitive interest exists for the proposed site.
Trident Winds is also developing the 1 GW Castle Wind floating wind project offshore California in partnership with TotalEnergies.
The companies plan to compete in the lease auction in California scheduled to take place in late 2022.