The US Department of the Interior and Department of Energy plan to increase offshore renewable energy development together, under a formal agreement signed Tuesday.
Interior and the DOE would develop “attainable” goals for constructing renewable energy projects on the US Outer Continental Shelf, determine how to streamline federal and state approval processes and identify areas ripe for development of offshore wind farms and marine and hydrokinetic projects, under the memorandum of understanding signed Tuesday.
“We have a major opportunity to tap the energy in waves and offshore wind. Increasing cooperation between our agencies will help make clean, renewable energy a reality,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar signed a similar agreement with the governors of East Coast US states a few weeks ago, and Tuesday’s agreement noted plans to explore the use of renewable energy sources in the Atlantic Ocean first.
The two branches of the Obama administration, which have already had central roles in supporting renewable energy development, will develop an interagency group within a month to draft an action plan.
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Source: platts, July 01, 2010;