For Immediate Release
February 2, 2012
Contact: Sean
Sarah, 202 548-4589 or sean.sarah@sierraclub.org
Sierra Club Statement on
Department of Interior’s Mid-Atlantic Offshore Wind Findings
Washington, DC – Today the
Department of the Interior released its environmental assessment of offshore
wind sites along the Mid-Atlantic coast. The DOI found that these sites would
create no significant impact to the environment, paving the way for accelerated
wind energy development off the coasts of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and
Virginia.
In
response, Vanessa Pierce, Eastern Region Director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond
Coal Campaign issued the following statement:
"Offshore
wind will create thousands of jobs and give an economic boost to the
mid-Atlantic at a time when the region badly needs it. We applaud the Interior
Department for moving forward with the next steps to help Maryland and
Virginia develop their powerful offshore wind resource."
"The
Administration knows we need to invest in jobs that will fuel our economy as we
transition away from dirty sources of energy like coal. Today, they took a
strong step forward in making a clean energy future a reality. This decision
will speed the path to a clean energy economy, ensure a greater measure of
domestic energy security and give the wind industry the needed confidence to
invest in home grown power generation."
"The
transition to clean energy is imperative; at the same time, we must ensure these
resources are developed responsibly. We will continue to engage in the
Department Of the Interior's Smart from the Start process to ensure that
offshore wind development is done right -- protecting key marine animals like
the right whale."
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