Page 46: of Marine Technology Magazine (May 2017)

Renewable Energy “I think we have turned a corner in the offshore wind industry and we may be looking at a very high level of activity in offshore wind in the future.”

Jim Bennett, Chief for the Of? ce of Renewable Energy Programs, BOEM newable energy closer to reality? interest in moving forward in a commercial basis offshore.

Sure. I’m going to focus on the Atlantic because that’s where (In mid-March it was announced that a Wind Energy Area of most of our work resides. The Atlantic Northeast is the most 122,405 acres offshore Kitty Hawk, N.C., received the high promising areas (for offshore renewable energy development); bid of $9,066,650 from Avangrid Renewables, LLC, the pro- the factors simply come together … the market is there, the visional winner. Also participating in the lease sale were Wind demand is there, the technology for shallow water (offshore Future LLC, Statoil Wind US LLC and wpd offshore Alpha wind) is possible and there is a wind resource. We’ve been LLC.) focusing on that area and since 2009. We have had seven com- petitive leases and a couple of noncompetitive. In that process Our discussion really has focused on offshore wind, and we have worked very closely with the states, and we’re now in obviously there are other offshore renewable technolo- a position where we have 13 leases (the most recent in North gies (wave and tidal) that are in differing states of devel-

Carolina is still awaiting full execution). In essence we have opment. Can you put all of the offshore renewable energy 13 leases, with at least one lease in every state from Cape modes in perspective in terms of maturity?

Hattaras up to Cape Cod. That is a good foundation to build Our responsibility is to ensure that we provide access the program into the future. Our last two sales – one off of with environmental safeguards. We have had some hydroki-

New York and one off of North Carolina – were very promis- netic and some wave energy pilot projects, but wind is very ing. The bids were substantial to say the least, based on our much coming of age and turning the corner in terms of com- expectations, and it indicates that there is very strong industry mercial competitiveness.

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