Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, says: “Our renewable energy is too important for bureaucratic turf battles to slow down our progress. … This agreement will help sweep aside red tape so that our country can capture the great power of wave, tidal, wind and solar power off our coasts,” Secretary Salazar said.

Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), comments: “Timely development of US offshore wind resources is important if we are to achieve the 20% vision by 2030. [The] announcement by Interior Secretary Salazar and FERC Commissioner Wellinghoff is a welcome sign that some of the bureaucratic obstacles to offshore wind will soon be removed. It is also still another indication that the Obama Administration is ready to back up its commitment to renewable energy with concrete actions.”