A renewable energy project that would have put Oregon at the forefront of offshore wind development in the West appears to have stalled.
The company behind the energy project, Principle Power, wanted to install wind turbines about 15 miles off the coast of Coos Bay.
Now the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the federal agency that grants leases for these types of projects, says it is no longer processing Principle Power’s application at the request of the company. The bureau says the lease application has not formally been withdrawn.
Under the initial proposal filed with federal regulators, the project would have produced 30 megawatts of power from five different floating turbines anchored to the seafloor more than 1,000 feet deep. It was enough energy to power several thousand homes.
Late last year, the Oregon Utility Commission balked at purchasing the high-priced electricity, leaving the energy project without a guaranteed place to sell.
Principle Power did not respond to a request for comment.
Copyright 2020 EarthFix. To see more, visit .
