The U.S. Department of Interior’s (DOI’s) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement and the U.S. Coast Guard have entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in which the agencies agree to cooperate on offshore renewable development projects.
Under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, DOI has authority to issue leases, easements and rights of way for renewable energy projects in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in consultation with other agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, of which the Coast Guard is a part.
Under the MOA, the bureau agrees to use the Coast Guard’s expertise on maritime safety, security, mobility, and national defense to assist on NEPA review of leases, grants and other plans with respect to offshore renewable development projects. The bureau also agrees to allow the Coast Guard to participate in the State Renewable Energy Task Force and to collaborate with the Coast Guard on navigational risk assessments related to renewable energy projects in the OCS.