Clean Energy Gets a Boost off the Coasts

WildEarth Guardians Files Suit to Spur Offshore Renewable Energy Development

DENVER-WildEarth Guardians today filed suit to spur the long-overdue development of clean, renewable energy off the coasts of the United States.

“This is about getting on the path toward a clean energy future and a stable climate,” said Jeremy Nichols, WildEarth Guardians’ Climate and Energy Program Director. “We need to make sure that we will have a renewable energy system that is as robust and diverse as our nation.”

The lawsuit targets the failure of the Minerals Management Service, the U.S. Department of Interior’s agency that oversees offshore energy development, to create regulations directing the development of renewable energy off the coasts. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 required such regulations be finalized by May 2006. The Bush Administration proposed the rules, but then never finalized them.

The coasts of the United States contain vast renewable energy potential in proximity to the nation’s largest population centers. Estimates indicate that more than 1,000 gigawatts could be generated annually from offshore wind, almost equal to the fossil fuel generating capacity that currently exists in the United States.

However, U.S. trails significantly behind Europe in developing its offshore renewable energy potential. For example, the U.S. currently has no offshore wind farms. In contrast, Europe has over 1400 megawatts of offshore wind farms, providing clean, domestic energy, significant jobs and economic development.

“Offshore wind farms and ocean power will enhance the robustness and diversity of our energy supplies,” said Nichols. “By putting generation assets closer to where the electricity is needed and ensuring that electricity is coming from a variety of sources, we’re making significant progress toward a clean energy future.”

WildEarth Guardians filed their lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.


 

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