Secretary Salazar and Secretary Chu announce Wind Energy Areas for the Atlantic Coast. Photo by Tami Heilemann-DOI.
This week, the Administration continued its work to build a clean energy future on our nation’s lands and oceans.
On Monday, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and I went to Norfolk, Virginia to unveil the first-ever coordinated strategicplan to accelerate the development of offshore wind energy. In support of our plan, Secretary Chu announced $50.5 million in funding opportunities to develop breakthrough offshore wind energy technology and to reduce specific market barriers to its deployment.
I also announced the first of several Wind Energy Areas for the Atlantic Coast. For four states -Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland – the Department of the Interior has identified areas with the highest wind potential and fewest conflicts with competing uses. If our environmental reviews on these Wind Energy Areas find no significant impacts from potential leasing, we could be offering wind leases in these areas by the end of 2011 or early 2012.
Fonte: White House