US Govt cuts red tape on offshore renewable energy

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNews/idUSN1727069820090317

US Govt cuts red tape on offshore renewable energy

Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:18pm EDT

By Tom Doggett

WASHINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) - With the aim of ending a regulatory turf war, U.S. government agencies on Tuesday said they would work together to cut redtape and spur development of offshore renewable energy projects.

Under the agreement, the Interior Department will have jurisdiction over offshore wind and solar energy projects, while the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will oversee offshore projects that generate electricity from wave and tidal currents.

"This agreement will help sweep aside red tape...our renewable energy is too important for bureaucratic turf battles to slow down our progress," said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.

President Barrack Obama has made developing alternative energy sources a centerpiece of his new administration but needs cooperation among a host of agencies to spur development and reach the goal of doubling renewable energy production over the next three years.

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[Laelth]

1. Bummer.

That will probably make it harder for local interests to fight offshore wind energy plants.

:(

-Laelth

[XemaSab]

2. Anytime I hear "cut red tape" with regards to environmental laws

A flag goes up. A red one.

PS Did Reuters really misspell Obama's first name? :rofl:

[phantom power]

3. What XS said.

[bananas]

5. By Tom Doggett

He's used to double letters?

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. NY Times: Interior, FERC end feud on offshore renewable projects

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/03/17/17greenwire-agencies-end-feud-on-offshore-projects-10153.html

Interior, FERC end feud on offshore renewable projects

By NOELLE STRAUB, Greenwire
Published: March 17, 2009

The Interior Department and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission agreed to work together to settle a longstanding conflict over which agency oversees offshore alternative energy, the Interior Department announced today.

"I'm proud to let you know this morning that late last night we signed a memorandum of understanding between the Department of Interior and FERC that will allow us to move forward with the siting of renewable energy facilities in the outer continental shelf," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Noting that there is no dispute with respect to offshore wind energy, Salazar added that the intention of FERC and Interior's Minerals Management Service is to work together to finalize rules governing all offshore alternative energies, including current and tidal.

"We don't want to be tripping over each other as we're dealing with ocean, tidal and wave energy," Salazar said. "We are very ready to move forward with offshore wind technologies. ... We will work out something that will be satisfactory to both FERC and us."

…