Yesterday the Department of the Interior released its environmental assessment of offshore wind sites along the Mid-Atlantic coast. The DOI found that these sites would create no significant impact to the environment, paving the way for accelerated wind energy development off the coasts of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
In response, Vanessa Pierce, Eastern Region Director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign issued the following statement:
“Offshore wind will create thousands of jobs and give an economic boost to the mid-Atlantic at a time when the region badly needs it. We applaud the Interior Department for moving forward with the next steps to help Maryland and Virginia develop their powerful offshore wind resource.”
“The Administration knows we need to invest in jobs that will fuel our economy as we transition away from dirty sources of energy like coal. Today, they took a strong step forward in making a clean energy future a reality. This decision will speed the path to a clean energy economy, ensure a greater measure of domestic energy security and give the wind industry the needed confidence to invest in home grown power generation.”
“The transition to clean energy is imperative; at the same time, we must ensure these resources are developed responsibly. We will continue to engage in the Department Of the Interior’s Smart from the Start process to ensure that offshore wind development is done right — protecting key marine animals like the right whale.”
[mappress]
Offshore WIND staff, February 03, 2012