Baker to Head BOEM's Office of Renewable Energy Programs
The United States' Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Tuesday announced Karen J. Baker will lead its Office of Renewable Energy Programs (OREP).BOEM, an agency within the Department of the Interior, manages U.S. offshore energy resources.As Chief of BOEM's OREP, Baker will oversee the development of renewable energy resources on the Outer Continental Shelf through planning, stakeholder engagement, environmental analysis and technical review.“We’re very excited to add Ms. Baker to our team at such a pivotal time in offshore wind development,” said BOEM Director Amanda Lefton.
House Set to Debate Offshore Wind Energy Bills in US Waters
A U.S. House committee will kick off debate next week on three new bills aimed at boosting offshore wind energy leases in federal waters.The House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold a hearing on Tuesday on three bipartisan offshore wind proposals.One proposal would require the Interior Department to develop a leasing plan or schedule for federal offshore leases, a second would create a federal grant for educational or career programs for the offshore industry…
Bennett Named BOEM’s Chief for OREP
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Abigail Ross Hopper announced James (Jim) F. Bennett as BOEM’s new Chief for the Office of Renewable Energy Programs (OREP), the program responsible for overseeing offshore renewable energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf. Bennett has 35 years of Federal service and has served in a variety of capacities around the Department of the Interior and the Bureau. Most recently, he served as the Chief of the Division of…
BOEM Assesses Prospects of Wave Energy off Oregon
As part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to create American jobs, cut carbon pollution and develop domestic energy sources, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is assessing whether there is competitive interest in wave energy research or development in an area of federal waters offshore Oregon where the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center at Oregon State University (NNMREC-OSU) proposes to site a hydrokinetic energy facility to test utility-scale wave energy devices. BOEM will publish the "Notice of Potential Research Lease on the Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Oregon, Request for Competitive Interest” in the Federal Register on March 24…
BOEM Seeks Comment on Proposed Energy Research
As part of the Obama Administration's Climate Action Plan to create American jobs, develop domestic clean energy sources and cut carbon pollution, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced today that it is seeking public comment as it prepares an Environmental Assessment (EA) to analyze potential impacts from proposed wind energy research activities offshore Virginia. The Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) has requested a research lease and proposes to design…
Virginia Proposes Offshore Wind Project to Obama’s BOEM
As part of the Obama Administration's all-of-the-above energy strategy to continue to expand safe and responsible domestic energy development, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced today it has received a second unsolicited request from Virginia's Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) for a research lease offshore Virginia. DMME proposes to design, develop, and demonstrate a grid-connected, 12-megawatt (MW) offshore wind test facility on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) off the coast of Virginia. BOEM will publish a "Public Notice of an Unsolicited Request for an OCS Research Lease, Request for Competitive Interest…
BOEM: Potential Research Lease Offshore Virginia
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) received an unsolicited request for a research lease in the Wind Energy Area (WEA) off Virginia identified for commercial wind leasing. The research would inform future renewable energy production within and around the WEA off Virginia. BOEM seeks public input on the research proposal. Virginia’s Department of Mines Minerals and Energy submitted the request to conduct wind energy-related research activities, including installation of two meteorological and ocean monitoring platforms to collect data on wind velocities, water levels, waves, and bird and bat activities. BOEM will publish a “Public Notice of an Unsolicited Request for an OCS Research Lease…
BOEMRE Discusses Science in Offshore Energy Development
Stressing the importance of scientific integrity in decision-making regarding offshore energy development, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) Director Michael R. Bromwich today highlighted the role of the bureau’s Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Scientific Committee in evaluating the bureau’s research and scientific agenda. “The Scientific Committee is a vital part of our ongoing efforts to ensure we have the appropriate scientific information available on which to base decisions affecting offshore energy production on the U.S.
