On the recordJuly 30, 2010
I rise today to urge support for amendment No. 2 to the CLEAR Act, which will help ensure that there is no delay in the development of ocean renewable energy resources, including offshore wind, under the MMS reorganization called for under title I. The actions to reform MMS following the devastating oil spill are necessary and commendable. While the new bureaus and office are focused on the critical task of transforming the agency into a more effective, transparent agency, this will require significant organizational and cultural alterations. Under this restructuring, it would be a great disappointment to lose ground in our efforts to prepare a workable comprehensive offshore energy plan for our Nation. If we are serious about advancing new clean sources of power, which I sincerely hope we are, an important goal of the MMS reorganization must continue to facilitate, not hinder, the development of offshore renewable energy development in the waters of the United States. For offshore renewable energy projects already underway, like the wind project off the coast of Delaware, progress must continue.
