Under
the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) the
Minerals Management Service (
MMS) is responsible for managing
alternate-energy related uses of America’s offshore public lands, also known
as the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Such uses include activities
that
(1) produce or support production, transportation, or
transmission of energy from sources other than oil and gas, or
(2) use, for energy-related or other authorized
marine-related purposes, facilities currently or previously used for
activities authorized under the OCS Lands Act.
The MMS has the discretionary authority to issue leases,
easements, or rights-of-way on the OCS for these uses. This authority
does not apply to areas located within the exterior boundaries of any unit
of a National Park System, National Wildlife Refuge System, National Marine
Sanctuary System, or any National Monument on the OCS.
The MMS is in the process of
developing proposed regulations intended to encourage orderly, safe, and
environmentally responsible development of alternative energy resources and
alternate use of facilities on the OCS. Likewise, the MMS is preparing a
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) that examines the interface between the marine and human environment and
the technologies and activities that generate energy from ocean alternative
energy resources. The EIS supports the regulatory program that MMS is
developing. In addition, the MMS is the process of evaluating two pre-existing
proposals for OCS alternative energy wind
projects
that EPAct identified in section 388(d).
This program is administered by the Alternative
Energy and Alternate Use Program Office within Offshore Energy and Minerals Management.
Contact: Maureen A. Bornholdt,
Program Manager
Alternative Energy
and Alternate Use Program Office
Minerals Management
Service, Mail Stop 4080
381 Elden St.
Herndon, VA
20170-4817
703-787-1300
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Last Updated:
12/03/2008,
11:09:11 AM
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