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INTERVIEW KEVIN SLIGH SR., DIRECTOR, BSEE tial impacts on Marine Protected Species. force, our team players, and everything that we can do to get

BSEE ECP also proposes, helps fund, and participates in everything that they need is critical. We also have something research led by BOEM’s Environmental Studies Program called the National Offshore Technical Center (NOTC) (ESP) that focuses on detection, monitoring, and control de- which produces about 23,000 contact hours per year on vices that could be used to improve environmental protec- training, and it’s everything from oil and gas to offshore tions during OCS energy operations. wind, and now, too, even carbon sequestration.

What do you see as some of the challenges that the offshore energy industry as a whole will face in the coming years, and how is BSEE preparing to meet those challenges? :atFK tKe IXOO interview witK .evin

The offshore environment is dynamic with certain inherent 6OigK 6r 'ireFtor BXreaX oI 6aIety risks. The offshore energy industry, whether conventional anG EnvironmentaO EnIorFement oil and gas or offshore wind, has been at the forefront of B6EE on 2IIsKore Engineer 79 advancing technologies, and our continued ability to keep pace with those advances is critical. To do this, we must continue to attract a diverse, talented workforce with skills and expertise in both conventional and renewable energy operations. At the same time, our sister agency, BOEM, EGitor¶s Note The preceding is a compilation of both has provided incentives, through recent offshore wind lease 2ffshore (ngineer T9’s video interview with %S(( 'irec sales, to the offshore wind industry to provide for workforce tor .evin Sligh Sr. and written responses to questions via training and supply chain development as they work to de- email. ,t has been edited for brevity and clarity.

velop their leases.

What are some of the cybersecurity challenges that the

Visit Us offshore energy industry faces, and speci? cally, what is at OTC

Houston, TX

BSEE doing to address these challenges?

Booth 2121

Last summer when I came on board, GAO [U.S. Govern- ment Accountability Of? ce] sent out a report with some rec- ommendations for BSEE to take a look at offshore oil and gas from a cybersecurity perspective. We’re at the point now where we’re actively building out a cyber strategy here in

BSEE as it pertains to being a regulator.

The industry players maintain their own systems, and we’re starting to make visits to some of the industry players down in Houston to take a look at their Emergency Opera- tions Centers (EOC) to understand what they’re using and ensuring that they have adequate resources to handle cyber.

I think industry knows it and gets it. There may be a few players out there, a few of the [mid- and small-sized] entities which I’m more concerned about. But from what I’m seeing, oil and gas companies understand the threat and the risk.

Looking at offshore wind, these electrical substations are going to be connected to the grid. So we’re also talking to offshore wind developers about their connections to the grid; their infrastructure concerns. &an you discuss BSEE’s efforts to train and eTuip its workforce? , know you talked about staf? ng up, but do you have enough people to manage the workload?

We’re growing, Greg. Our most valuable asset is our work- www.marinelink.com 25

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