Salazar Signs Agreement with 10 East Coast Governors
to Establish Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Consortium
Jun 08, 2010 -- Interior Department Documents and Publications/ContentWorks
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and the governors of 10 East Coast
states today signed a Memorandum of Understanding that formally
establishes an Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Consortium to promote the
efficient, orderly, and responsible development of wind resources on the
Outer Continental Shelf.
Salazar announced the agreement at Capitol Hill Oceans Week 2010, where
he also announced the establishment of a new regional renewable energy
office to coordinate and appropriately expedite the development of wind,
solar and other renewable energy resources on the Atlantic Outer
Continental Shelf. The office will be located in Virginia so as to be
convenient to all states.
"I am very pleased to be joining with the governors of Atlantic coastal
states to promote the safe and environmentally responsible development
of the exceptional wind energy resources off our coasts," Salazar said.
"Appropriate development of Outer Continental Shelf wind power will
enhance regional and national energy security and create American jobs
through the development of energy markets and investments in renewable
energy technologies."
Several wind energy projects for the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf
have been proposed for East Coast states, positioning the region to tap
into the enormous potential of wind power in the U.S. Developing this
resource could create thousands of manufacturing, construction and
operations jobs and displace older, inefficient fossil-fueled generating
plants, helping significantly to combat climate change.
"Renewable energy resources hold great economic promise," Salazar
said. "By one estimate, if our nation fully pursues its potential for
wind energy on land and offshore, wind can generate as much as 20
percent of our electricity by 2030 and create a quarter-million jobs in
the process."
Salazar announced during a February 19, 2010, meeting with governors and
representatives of Atlantic coast states that he was forming a
consortium to discuss a regional approach to wind energy development on
the Outer Continental Shelf. All Atlantic coast states were invited to
join. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Secretary Salazar
and the governors of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.
Together, the department and the Atlantic governors will use this
agreement to facilitate federal-state cooperation for commercial wind
development on the Outer Continental Shelf off of the Atlantic coast
through collaborative efforts on issues of mutual interest. Under the
Memorandum of Understanding, the consortium will develop an action plan
that sets forth priorities, goals, specific recommendations and steps
for achieving the objectives outlined in the agreement.
Interior's new Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will oversee the
development of wind and other renewable energy resources on the Outer
Continental Shelf. In addition to cooperation with the governors,
Interior will continue to work with local, state, tribal and federal
stakeholders to facilitate the commercial leasing process for offshore
renewable energy development through inter-governmental task forces.
Task forces have been formally established with Rhode Island,
Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland, and are in
process for New York, South Carolina, and Florida.
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