U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration said on Friday it will hold an offshore wind energy lease sale off the coasts of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia in August as part of its broader efforts to expand the industry to fight climate change.”The areas to be auctioned on August 14, 2024, by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management could generate up to 6.3 gigawatts of clean, renewable energy and power up to 2.2 million homes,” the Interior Department said in a press release.It said the lease auction would include one area off Delaware and Maryland, and one area off the coast of Virginia.Biden’s administration intends to hold up to a dozen auctions of offshore wind development rights through 2028, including four before the end of this year, as it seeks to decarbonize the power sector.(Reuters – Writing by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Frances Kerry)