The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has completed its first offshore renewable energy task-force meeting in cooperation with South Carolina's Energy Office.
This intergovernmental task force was established to facilitate communication between BOEM and state, local, tribal and federal stakeholders concerning commercial renewable energy leasing and development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) off the coast of South Carolina. The task force includes state government officials designated by South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, officials from affected federal agencies, elected local government officials and tribal leaders.
The meeting featured a discussion about the commercial leasing process for OCS renewable energy and the draft task-force charter. The task-force members discussed options for starting the leasing process and the procedure for specific actions required by BOEM and the state for developing offshore renewable energy.
"BOEM established this task force to promote the close coordination that is necessary to make renewable energy projects offshore of South Carolina a reality," says BOEM Director Tommy P. Beaudreau. "We will work together with the state and other stakeholders toward the generation of clean, renewable energy off of the coast of South Carolina as part of the all-of-the-above energy strategy that our country needs."
BOEM has also established task forces with Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Oregon and Hawaii.
