Jocelyn Thompson was a featured panelist during this webinar sponsored by Lex Mundi. This program provided an overview of some of the major legal and regulatory issues associated with the siting and licensing of an offshore wind power facility off the coast of the United States, with a particular focus on a deep-water project on the Outer Continental Shelf. The program also provided a summary of the types of agreements governing the sale and transmission of electricity generated by such a facility, as well as the regulation of those agreements by Federal and State agencies. The following topics were covered during the presentation.
- The type and scope of the U.S. government’s general permitting procedures for siting wind power resources on the Outer Continental Shelf, including the type of environmental issues and review required for any such permitting;
- The overlapping jurisdictions between State and Federal governmental authorities responsible for coastal management, with a particular focus on California;
- A general overview of the vehicles and agreements for power generators seeking interconnection to the existing electrical grid; and
- The types of obstacles, including environmental constraints and public opposition, faced by potential developers of offshore wind projects in the United States.
- Special focus on the permitting and approvals of off-shore power projects in Australia, using the Basslink power transmission facility as an example;
- The types of government incentives available for wind projects in Australia.