Response 11: DOI & FERC Announce Agreement on Renewable Energy Development

It sounds like the U.S. Department of the Interior has quite a lot of control over where renewable systems are put in all over America, and as long as they are for green energy, they may be the start towards more installations. Before this Department was mainly focused on where to drill for oil, but now, as times are changing, it seems they are more oriented towards where green systems should be installed. This is a great step towards help from the government in creating more power from renewable resources. The DOI has control over one fifth of the land in the U.S. and much of the outer continental shelf. This resource, if used correctly, could have a huge impact on the amount of "renewable energy zones" created, and the area of land put towards renewable energy.
When I was looking for an article, I came across one that pointed out that currently not much sustainable energy accounts for our overall energy consumption. I wonder how in the future solar, wind, tidal turbines, and other systems can account for all the energy we use on a daily basis. It seems that wind and solar systems are great in the fact that they are renewable, but there energy production amounts are not huge. While this is a setback, maybe this realization may lead the American public to think about how we need to cut down on waste in this issue as well. Overall my research has lead me in many different directions and aspects of sustainable energy. If I could gain just one valuable point from my work so far these past months it would be that there is no one solution to this energy crisis. The solution needs to come from the government as well as the people. The solution needs to involve many types of renewable energy systems. Efficiency must be a huge part in this as well. Wasting the precious energy we gain is not only a set back in the preserving of the environment, but also throws away our dollars and effort. Where we get out energy is important to every ones well being, and staple in out economic future.

Article 11: DOI & FERC Announce Agreement on Renewable Energy Development

- The "Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act" allows the "Secretary of the Interior" to grant leases of the outer continental shelf for the use of oil and gas development.
- In 2005 this act was amended to allow the "U.S. Department of the Interior,"Secretary Salazar, to have authority over as well in the transporting and harvesting of energy, oil and renewable sources.
- The DOI has power over this shelf and who can put wind turbines there.
- "Under the Federal Power Act, FERC" has the authority to develop and watch over all hydropower resources in United States waters.
- All these organizations factor into who and when people can develop wither the OCS or any other areas off the U.S. coast.
- Recently more movements have been made to use this power for more sustainable energy related sources rather than just oil.
- Efforts are being made to diminish pointless policies that interfere with the development of wind systems offshore as well as Obama's plan for 20% wind growth by 2030.
- Some serious actions must be made in order to achieve Obama's energy plans for the U.S.
- Secretary Salazar has made renewable energy a top priority for the department as well as setting up federal "renewable energy zones," where wind systems can be built.
- The "DOI manages one fifth of land in the U.S., as well as 1.7 billion acres on the OCS." This means a lot of land available to be put into renewable energy zones. Parts of this are ideal for wind energy, especially those offshore on the OCS.