U.S. unveils plans for offshore wind farms

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- The U.S. government announced plans to move forward with a lease sale for offshore wind farms along the Atlantic coast.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management found there would be no environmental or socioeconomic effects from issuing wind energy leases off the mid-Atlantic coast.

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, in a statement, said the announcement is in line with President Barack Obama's call for an "all-of-the-above" domestic energy strategy.

"Offshore wind holds incredible potential for our country and we're moving full-steam ahead to accelerate the siting, leasing and construction of new projects," he said in a statement.

The government said the lease form process would help accelerate the development of wind energy on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. Deputy Interior Department Secretary David Hayes said the lease announcement opens of "sweet spots" for wind energy off the Atlantic coast.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that more than 4,150 gigawatts of energy could be generated from offshore wind. The U.S. Department of Energy found the most favorable wind conditions in the United States were along the northwestern and northeastern coasts.

There are no commercial-scale offshore wind farms in the United States.