This Week in Energy
Energy Headlines
CNBC
E&E News
Washington Post
Ongoing Discussion
By Laura Morton
Senior Director, Policy & Regulatory Affairs for Offshore Wind, American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)
This is week 2 of our offshore wind discussion, which will continue through January.
" To ensure the states’ demand for clean energy is met, the federal government should continue processing offshore wind project plans in an expeditious manner consistent with the Administration’s directives and conduct new lease auctions. All capital-intensive energy industries need regulatory stability. A timely, transparent and predictable regulatory environment is critical to providing business certainty and securing tens of billions of dollars of additional investment in the United States ...." -  Laura Morton, AWEA
"Having been involved in the offshore wind project off Block Island, which is the first working offshore wind project in the United States, I think the two things that made the project work was the political joining of the two parties and the unions in Rhode Island and the prompt regulatory approvals, and the tax credit.... The state and federal approvals should be combined in no more than two approvals, and the record in state and federal approvals should be used in the other. As was done in Rhode Island, a intense environmental review could be done at the state level and if possible at the regional level...." - Elliot Taubman , Esq., BIPCO, Commissioner of the Block Island Utility District
"The big question is what does it cost to design off-shore wind farms and the associated infrastructure for Category V hurricanes without serious damage? Today the wind farm owner buys insurance for rare bad storms–the right financial decision for a single wind farm owner. However that is not viable if large-scale deployment for the gird. It is not acceptable to have one big storm and loose a large fraction of the generating capacity...."
  1. What do you see as the largest barrier for offshore wind to overcome in order to expand to meet the demand for clean energy?
  2. Would an offshore wind tax credit be the most helpful policy to support the development of the offshore wind industry? How much of a difference would it make to the growth of the industry?
  3. How can the United States streamline the reviewing and approvals of offshore wind projects?
New Publications
 Center for International Environmental Law
December 5, 2019
Bloomberg Philanthropies
December 9, 2019
Find these new publications and others in the OurEnergyLibrary.
Update from Congress

New Legislation



Resolution


Hearings & Business Meetings

  • Tues, Dec 17 - The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing to consider the nomination of Larry Erdos to be Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement at the Department of the Interior.

  • Wed, Dec 12 - The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources advanced 19 public lands and energy-related bills to the full Senate, in a business meeting to consider pending legislation. A total of 52 energy bills have been reported out of the committee this year. Chairman Murkowski said the committee will now turn to negotiating their energy package to have it ready to bring to the floor early next year. See an archived video of the meeting.

Featured Events
Washington, D.C.
  • When: Thurs, Dec 19, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
  • Where: 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building
The National Council for Science & the Environment (NCSE) will be holding its annual conference on January 6-9, 2020 , in Washington, D.C.! Online registration has closed, but tickets will be sold at the door.

  • When: Mon-Thurs, Jan 6-9, 2020
  • Where: Resources & Conservation Center, 1400 16th St. NW, Wash., D.C. 20036
To see more upcoming energy events across the country, visit the OEP Events Calendar .
Was this email forwarded to you?   Sign up here .