NOAA and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to “responsibly advance offshore wind energy” through the coordination of resources, input, and responsibilities related to offshore wind activities in federal waters.
The MOU cites potential areas of cooperation including the identification and use of best available science and Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge to support regulatory decisions; efficiency improvements for offshore wind-related environmental reviews and authorizations; early and ongoing communication and engagement during the planning, leasing, and permitting process; and research, planning, and regulatory mechanisms to advance new jobs, scientific understanding of the potential impacts of offshore wind development, equitable economic development, environmental justice, and sustainability.
NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad called the MOU “powerful and timely as we face climate change head on,” stating that it will “help ensure coordination, collaboration, and alignment by NOAA and BOEM at key decision points in support of the Administration’s offshore wind energy goal” and “provide specific pathways for NOAA data and services while protecting our ecosystems and marine resources.”
BOEM Director Amanda Lefton said that the MOU “shows that fighting climate change and responsible resource management go hand-in-hand,” stating that “We are already seeing the impacts of climate change on communities across the country and the ocean resources that we manage” and that “[n]ow is the time to act.”
