By Jennifer A. Dlouhy (Bloomberg) -- Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke just handed offshore drilling foes ammunition for lawsuits by declaring the Florida coast off limits. Zinke declared he would dial back a proposal to auction drilling rights in as much as 90 percent of U.S. coastal waters less than a week after the plan was unveiled. The decision, announced Tuesday in a … [Read more...]
Obama Administration Does U-Turn on Atlantic Drilling
By Valerie Volcovici WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - The Obama administration reversed course on Tuesday on a proposal to open the southeastern Atlantic coast to drilling as an oil price slump and strong opposition in coastal communities raised doubts about the plan. Besides market and environmental concerns, the U.S. Interior Department said it also based its decision … [Read more...]
US Interior Secretary To Step Down, Offshore Stakeholders Appear Happily Anxious
WASHINGTON, DC – After 4 challenging years managing the natural resources of the United States, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has announced his plans to leave the Department by the end of March. “I have had the privilege of reforming the Department of the Interior to help lead the United States in securing a new energy frontier, ushering in a conservation … [Read more...]
U.S. Announces First-Ever Offshore Wind Energy Lease Sales
The U.S. Department of The Interior today announced the nation's first-ever lease sales for renewable energy development in two wind energy areas (WEAs) on the Outer Continental Shelf, proposing nearly 278,000 acres of federal waters offshore Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Virginia. “Wind energy along the Atlantic holds enormous potential, and today we are moving … [Read more...]
Obama Administration Announces Major Steps toward Leasing for Offshore Wind Projects in Mid-Atlantic
WASHINGTON — Echoing President Obama's State of the Union call for an “all of the above” energy strategy, the Department of the Interior today marked a major milestone for offshore wind energy along the Atlantic coast. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Tommy P. Beaudreau announced that the … [Read more...]