WASHINGTON — To strengthen interagency cooperation in the advancement of safe and environmentally sustainable non-mineral (renewable) energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today with two Department of the Interior bureaus: the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). U.S. Coast Guard Deputy Commandant for Operations Vice Admiral Peter Gautier, BSEE Director Kevin Sligh and BOEM Deputy Director Dr. Walter Cruickshank signed the MOU during a ceremony at the USCG Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The new agreement strengthens federal collaboration in support of the Biden-Harris administration’s priority to deploy clean energy to combat the global climate crisis. USCG, BSEE and BOEM share responsibilities for the planning, siting, construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of federal offshore non-mineral energy facilities. The memorandum will serve as a guide for coordination of respective roles for offshore safety and environmental protection in federal waters, and outlines agency leadership for specific oversight functions.