Oregon Tribes Sue Federal Government in Bid to Delay Offshore Wind Auction

The tribes say the decision to move forward with offshore wind leases was rushed and politically driven.

A wind turbine off the coast of the Spanish Basque town of Armintza, on March 21, 2024. Ander Gillenea/AFP via Getty Images

Officials from the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians have filed a lawsuit to delay the U.S. government’s first-ever wind energy auction for the Oregon coast, currently scheduled for Oct. 15.

Filed on Sept. 13, the lawsuit challenges the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) environmental assessment and decision to proceed with the development of two offshore wind energy areas (WEAs). The WEAs would encompass approximately 195,000 acres between 18 and 32 miles offshore from the coastal communities of Coos Bay and Brookings.