During the month of April, 2009, Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, will host four regional public hearings designed to explore options for offshore energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). A large part of the dialogue will revolve around the findings of a recent report commissioned by Secretary Salazar. The hearings will also be broadcast live via the D.O.I. website at http://www.doi.gov/... . The first meetings are scheduled for Monday, April 6, in Atlantic City at the Atlantic City Convention Center; and Wednesday, April 8, in New Orleans at Tulane University’s McAlister Auditorium.
Secretary Salazar recently told a summit meeting of 25X25 America´s Energy Future, a group working to lower the nations carbon emissions, that: "More than three-fourths of the nation’s electricity demand comes from coastal states and the wind potential off the coasts of the lower 48 states actually exceeds our entire U.S. electricity demand". Observers view his remarks as a positive indication that clean energy and renewables will be a serious part of any discussion regarding America´s future offshore energy production strategy.
Limitations on the use of oil and natural gas resources will also be discussed because of a lack of reliable information as to how much is actually available. Secretary Salazar recently commented that the Outer Continental Shelf Energy Resources report found huge information gaps about the location and extent of offshore oil and gas resources.He stated that: "Along the Atlantic Coast, for example, the seismic data we have is twenty-five years old... How should we gather the information we currently lack about our offshore oil and gas resources? How do we manage the costs of gathering seismic data? Are there areas on the OCS that should be of priority for information collection?".
All those interested are encouraged to join in the public discussions, or communicate privately with Secretary Salazar.