On the heels of yesterday’s good news about progress for offshore wind energy in Massachusetts, today the Obama Administration announced a major new initiative to accelerate the development of clean, offshore wind power along the Atlantic Coast. The Interior Department, (DOI), Governor O’Malley of Maryland and the President of the Offshore Wind Development Coalition, Jim Lanard, made this encouraging announcement for renewable energy in America today. The primary announcement - over the next 60 days the administration will identify wind energy areas, (WEA), that are most promising for potential offshore wind development. They have been working with many eastern states, state-based task forces and stakeholders to determine these areas and identify what they believe will be the best places for siting this renewable energy source.
On the heels of yesterday's good news about progress for offshore wind energy in Massachusetts, today the Obama Administration announced a major new initiative to accelerate the development of clean, offshore wind power along the Atlantic Coast.
The Interior Department, (DOI), Governor O'Malley of Maryland and the President of the Offshore Wind Development Coalition, Jim Lanard, made this encouraging announcement for renewable energy in America today.
!ADVERTISEMENT!
The primary announcement - over the next 60 days the administration will identify wind energy areas, (WEA), that are most promising for potential offshore wind development. They have been working with many eastern states, state-based task forces and stakeholders to determine these areas and identify what they believe will be the best places for siting this renewable energy source. In the following six months, DOI will reach out to "sister agencies' with information about ocean based renewable energy development to gain additional information on specific areas to confirm the previously identified locations. They will work with NOAA, DOD, EPA, the Coastguard and other relevant agencies to move this process forward. As a result of this new initiative, when lease sales are reviewed, investors and others will have more solid information to proceed with a full environmental impact statement prior to approving any project. Additionally, more attention will be given to any transmission applications which may assist in making sound decisions from a business and permitting perspective on advancing offshore wind in America.
The second portion of the announcement included the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's current review of a final rule change designed to streamline a lack of competition provision, granting a green light to candidates and collapsing the current rule into a single opportunity to identify whether there is in fact competition for a proposed site. This rule is in final stages of review and the administration will provide additional details but hopes that this change will clarify the existing offshore wind permitting process.
Article continues: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/bcolander/obama_administration_paves_way.html
