In a news conference with Gov. Jon Corzine, U.S. Interior Secretary Kenneth Salazar called the leases, the first of their kind issued by the federal government, a first step to help the state meet its goal to produce wind-generated power by 2013.
Four of the leases are for collecting data off the coast of New Jersey. The fifth is for a lease off the coast of Delaware.
One lease was awarded each to Bluewater Wind Energy New Jersey LLC, Fishermen's Energy of New Jersey LLC, and Bluewater Wind Energy Delaware LLC. Two leases were awarded to Deepwater Wind LLC for different distances off New Jersey's coast.
The awarding of the leases signifies the federal government's willingness to designate the Outer Continental Shelf as a location to be shared with oil and natural gas companies that are seeking permission to explore how much of those fossil fuels are off the coast of the Eastern Seaboard.
"We are entering a new day for energy production in the United States - a time of clean energy from renewable domestic sources on our Outer Continental Shelf," Salazar said. "Other nations have been using offshore wind energy for more than a decade. We made the development of offshore wind energy a top priority for Interior. The technology is proven, effective and available and can create new jobs for Americans while reducing our expensive and dangerous dependence on foreign oil."
Corzine has set a goal of having New Jersey produce 1,000 megawatts of power by wind by 2013 and 3,000 megawatts by 2020.
The leases allow the companies to build towers between 6 and 18 miles offshore on the Outer Continental Shelf to collect data on wind speed, intensity and direction.
"This is tremendous news for New Jersey and I thank Secretary Salazar and the Obama Administration for issuing these leases which are so critical to getting the development of our offshore wind turbine projects underway," Corzine said. "New Jersey's Outer Continental Shelf is a resource that holds a great promise for our energy independence and should be considered a haven for the clean, renewable and environmentally friendly energy that wind power provides.
The New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club lauded the leases and said the action was long overdue.
"Until now it has been easier to put oil derricks off our coast instead of wind mills," said chapter executive director Jeff Tittel. "We look forward to seeing the first wind farms actually permitted and built."
- Options :
- View Archives