Latest Lease Sale Shows US Commitment to Offshore Wind Development
National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Randall Luthi today issued the following statement Washington, D.C. – on bidding in today'’s OCS Wind Sale, the nation’s second offshore wind auction:
"Following the Bureau of Ocean ManagementÂ’s auction in July, off the shores of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, todayÂ’s Lease Sale of 112,800 acres off the Virginia coast underscores the AdministrationÂ’s commitment to developing renewable energy resources on the Outer Continental Shelf.
NOIA represents all companies involved in the production of OCS energy and applauds the Interior Department for continuing to move forward with the development of this relatively new resource. Our nationÂ’s oceans are a major source of energy and hold vast, untapped resources yet-to-be developed.
Bringing the wind resources of the OCS to market is an important first step toward an “all-of-the-above” energy policy and the Administration will point to this sale as a prime example of such a pursuit. However, we cannot help but point out that acreage off Virginia’s coasts that had been under consideration for oil and gas development continues to be off-limits. There may be vast quantities of oil and natural gas lying untapped off the coast of Virginia but the Administration continues to slow-walk the process that would allow for new seismic studies to be conducted thus opening the door for a truly “all-of-the-above” American energy plan.
“We encourage the Administration to swiftly move forward on the development of offshore oil and natural gas in the Mid-Atlantic just as they continue to do with offshore wind. The rising energy demands of the nation require nothing less.”"
