Federal government postpones sale of floating offshore wind leases along Oregon coast

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The federal government postponed an auction of floating offshore wind leases off the Oregon coast on Friday after developers said they wouldn’t bid and the state’s governor asked that all leasing activities stop. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management did not set a new date for the sale. It said the decision to postpone the sale scheduled for Oct. 15 was based on insufficient bidder interest. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek wrote to the agency shortly before the announcement, asking it to terminate the current auction. Kotek cited growing concerns from coastal and fishing communities, tribes and others. In light of mounting opposition, the number of companies planning to bid on the leases dwindled.