Wind Energy Leases Up for Auction in July

An area of about 165,000 acres off the Newport coast could soon be home to wind turbines, after the federal Department of Interior announced on June 4 that it will offer leases on the area in an auction scheduled for July.

In a statement on its website, the Interior Department estimated the electricity would be enough to power 1 million homes.

“Today we are moving closer to tapping into the enormous potential offered by offshore wind to create jobs, increase our sustainability, and strengthen our nation’s competitiveness in this new energy frontier," Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said in the statement. "As we experience record domestic oil and gas development, we are also working to ensure that America leads the world in developing the energy of the future.”