Energy Market and Infrastructure Information for Evaluating Renewable Energy Projects for the Atlantic and Pacific Ocs Regions

On August 8, 2005, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (§388) amended the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act to grant the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior (Secretary) discretionary authority to issue leases, easements, or rights-of-way (ROW) for previously unauthorized activities that: (i) produce or support production, transportation, or transmission of energy from sources other than oil and gas; or (ii) use, for energy-related or other authorized marine-related purposes, facilities currently or previously used for activities authorized under the OCS Lands Act. The act also requires the Secretary to share with nearby coastal States a portion of the revenues received by the Federal Government from authorized renewable energy and alternate use projects on certain areas of the OCS.