Oceana Applauds Announcement of First U.S. Offshore Wind Lease Sale - Oceana

Oceana Applauds Announcement of First U.S. Offshore Wind Lease Sale

Press Release Date: June 4, 2013

Location: Washington, D.C.

Contact:

Anna Baxter | email: abaxter@oceana.org
Anna Baxter

Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that it will hold the first-ever lease sale for offshore wind on July 31, 2013, offering up 164,750 acres off the coasts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Oceana applauded the announcement and released the following statement from ocean advocate Nancy Sopko:

 

“Having recently exceeded the 400 parts per million threshold for carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere, it is now clearer than ever before that developing offshore wind power in the U.S. is not a luxury, but a necessity. Offshore wind will help to slow the effects of global climate change and provide cleaner air to breathe, while at the same time creating good-paying American jobs and boosting the nation’s economy. This long-awaited announcement is proof that the administration is committed to building a domestic offshore wind industry, and for that they should be commended.

However, this announcement is just a small step towards that goal. What is really necessary to advance the offshore wind industry is a long-term extension of the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) to stimulate investment and further demonstrate that the United States will stand firm on offshore wind development. We urge the President to call on Congress to provide a long-term extension of the ITC for offshore wind so that we can finally begin to reap all of the environmental and economic benefits of this domestic clean energy opportunity.”