10 states, U.S. sign pact on wind energy

www2.nbc13.com
June 20, 2010

While plans for offshore drilling are on ice, the governors of 10 states - including Virginia and North Carolina - and US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar signed a deal to create an Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Consortium. The group intends to promote the development of wind resources on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf -- a first step toward broader coordination among the Atlantic states and federal agencies. Salazar also announced Tuesday a new Virginia-based regional renewable energy office to coordinate and speed up the development of renewable energy resources on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf, including wind and solar.

"It's imperative that we develop all of our domestic energy sources including wind, solar, biomass, nuclear, coal, oil and natural gas," Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said in a statement. "Our deepwater port, relatively shallow offshore waters, and offshore wind speeds give us the ability to move quickly to harness wind power and bring it to market."

While McDonnell includes wind as one of the energy sources he wants to pursue off Virginia's coast, the administration was pushing hard to drill for oil and natural gas offshore. Virginia was first in line on the East Coast to begin offshore oil exploration, but the Obama administration halted those plans following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The governor has said that he wants to see a faster permit process for approval of wind power applications and attention to the costs associated. Both are among the consortium's considerations in its quest to create regional strategies and recommendations to facilitate the development of offshore wind resources. The group will also review investment and infrastructure, data and science, and the regulatory and permitting process. Funding for any activities will be subject to funds and staff available, according to the memorandum, but participants will "pursue sufficient resources" to ensure the objectives of the agreement are achieved.

Salazar said several wind power projects have been proposed for the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf, positioning the region to tap into the potential of wind power and any jobs that it creates. "Renewable energy resources hold great economic promise," Salazar said. "By one estimate, if our nation fully pursues its potential for wind power on land and offshore, wind can generate as much as 20% of our electricity by 2030 and create a quarter-million jobs in the process."

Participants are expected within 30 days to develop the action plan setting forth priorities, initial goals and specific recommendations. The governors of Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire also signed the memorandum of understanding.