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US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has published a discussion draft of a bill aimed at streamlining offshore wind development and integrating new sources of clean energy into the grid.
The proposed legislation seeks to improve permitting, coordination and cooperation between agencies and with developers and stakeholders; establish a holistic process for offshore wind transmission and enhance support for fisheries and other potentially affected stakeholders, among others.
The Rhode Island lawmaker is now seeking feedback on the proposed COLLABORATE Act, an acronym for Create Offshore Leadership and Livelihood Alignment by Operating Responsibly and Together for the Environment Act. Submissions by interested stakeholders are due February 9.
“Offshore wind is an abundant resource that we have to harness to meet our climate and clean energy goals. To unlock the full potential of offshore wind, we need to lower the barriers standing in the way of growth,” Whitehouse noted in his statement.
The COLLABORATE Act would also complement Whitehouse’s RISEE Act, which is designed to establish a dedicated funding source derived from offshore wind development for coastal protection and resilience. This would be achieved through limits on bidding credits that developers can employ in lease auctions to safeguard the offshore wind revenues of states.
The first offshore wind farm in the US — The Block Island Wind Farm, went online back in December 2016. The facility was described by Whitehouse as “a successful model for offshore wind development.”
While the US has significant potential for offshore wind, it remains largely untapped and the country is lagging behind other nations, with currently only 42 MW in operation.
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