Page 20: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 2017)

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BOEM’s Jim Bennett oices

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Jim Bennett Jim Bennett

Chief for the Of? ce of Renewable Energy Programs (OREP), BOEM

Two years ago James F. (Jim) Bennett was named Chief for the Of? ce of Renewable Energy Programs (OREP) at the Bureau of Ocean Energy

Management (BOEM) the program responsible for overseeing offshore renewable energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf. Here he discusses Offshore Renewable Energy in the United States.

By Greg Trauthwein in the oil and gas side, where as there is a the public. Our role is to make sure that energy development); the factors simply

Compare and contrast the work off- lot of new things being dealt with on the the development is expeditious and or- come together … the market is there, shore in the traditional oil and gas renewable side. derly, with appropriate environmental the demand is there, the technology for and renewable world.

There is a compare and contrast; there are safeguards and fairness throughout the shallow water (offshore wind) is pos-

For those not in the know, what a lot of similarities, but there are many process. sible and there is a wind resource. We’ve speci? cally is BOEM’s role in help- differences too. First, it’s not really the been focusing on that area and since 2009 ing to bring forward the advent of When you look at development by ‘other side’ because our bureau is all we’ve had seven competitive leases and

Renewable Energy projects in the region and investment actions that about ‘ocean energy’ and that includes a couple of non-competitive. In that pro- offshore environment? have been taken, and progress that both oil and gas and renewable energy. cess we have worked very closely with has been made in making offshore

A main difference is the renewable pro- The agency’s role is to essentially pro- the states, and we’re now in a position renewable energy closer to reality.

gram is relatively new, established in vide access. The law is set up so that where we have 13 leases (the most recent 2005 with the regulatory regime in 2009, the private sector is given opportunity Sure. I’m going to focus on the Atlantic in North Carolina is still awaiting full ex- whereas the oil and gas program goes on a competitive basis to move into the because that’s where most of our work re- ecution). In essence we have 13 leases, back decades. There is much more ‘on offshore environment and commercially sides. The Atlantic Northeast is the most with at least one lease in every state from the ground’ experience with the program develop the resource for the bene? t of promising areas (for offshore renewable Cape Hattaras up to Cape Cod. That is 20 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • JUNE 2017

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