I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7142 
To provide for assessment and identification of sites as appropriate for the 
location of offshore renewable electric energy generation facilities, to 
provide funding for offshore renewable electric energy generation projects, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 26, 2008 
Mr. DELAHUNT (for himself, Mr. MICHAUD, and Mr. MCGOVERN) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources and 
Science and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for assessment and identification of sites as ap-
propriate for the location of offshore renewable electric 
energy generation facilities, to provide funding for off-
shore renewable electric energy generation projects, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Offshore Renewable 
Energy Development Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
(1) The United States needs additional sources 
of renewable energy in order to address the problems 
of climate change, meet renewable energy portfolio 
standards, diversify our energy mix, and become 
more energy independent. The development of a di-
verse supply of energy and additional alternatives to 
foreign fuels is important for our national security. 
(2) The coastal waters of the United States 
possess significant offshore wave, tidal, and wind en-
ergy resources. The National Renewable Energy 
Laboratory has stated that these wind, wave and 
tide, and ocean-based sources of energy possess over 
50 percent of America’s total renewable energy po-
tential. 
(3) The Department of Energy estimates that 
more than 900,000 megawatts (MW) of potential re-
newable energy exists off the coasts of the United 
States. This amount of energy is roughly the total 
current United States-installed electrical capacity of 
the entire country, and most of this energy is located 
near major population centers, where energy costs 
are high. 900,000 megawatts of offshore wind gen-
eration capacity would produce about 3,547,800,000 
megawatt hours of electricity each year. This is the 
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same amount of energy as is contained in 
1,927,042,446 barrels of oil, or about 25 percent of 
total oil consumption in the United States each year. 
(4) Offshore wind energy alone has the poten-
tial to produce about 3,548 billion kilowatt-hours of 
electricity per year, which is 87 percent of the elec-
tricity generated in the United States in 2006. 
Slightly more than half of the country’s identified 
offshore renewable energy is located off the New 
England and Mid-Atlantic Coasts. 
(5) Approximately 90 percent of the 900,000 
MW of potential offshore wind energy is located in 
Federal waters, beyond 5 nautical miles from shore. 
Approximately 10 percent (98,000 MW) is estimated 
to be near shore in waters less than 30 meters deep. 
(6) In Europe, governments have recognized the 
enormous potential for offshore renewable energy, 
have identified sites for offshore energy, and have 
developed ambitious policy goals based on harnessing 
this resource. Germany and the other States of the 
European Union have been working towards a target 
of 12 percent renewable energy by 2010. Because 
this target was surpassed in 2007. On April 26, 
2008, Germany announced that this target would 
rise to 27 percent by 2020. 
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(7) With regard to wind energy, most of these 
European sites are in deeper waters where cutting- 
edge technology is being developed to harness these 
offshore wind energy resources. The current depth of 
existing technology is 120 feet, but newer tech-
nologies are being pilot tested for even deeper wa-
ters. 
(8) Offshore ocean energy development can gen-
erate hundreds of thousands of jobs. According to 
the Renewable Energy Policy Project, 74,000 MW of 
renewables, primarily from wind energy in the 
United States would require 380,000 new manufac-
turing jobs for component parts; 36,000 U.S. firms 
already produce similar products that could serve 
the growing market 
(9) The United States also possesses the sci-
entific and technical capacity to generate renewable 
energy from the ocean, including from wave, wind, 
and tidal sources. Scientists and other industry ex-
perts believe that, at a minimum, the United States 
Government should provide a policy framework to 
guide the appropriate development of these re-
sources. Such a framework is imperative for the 
identification of offshore sites and the rapid develop-
ment of these resources in general. 
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SEC. 3. IDENTIFICATION OF OFFSHORE SITES FOR ALTER-
NATIVE ENERGY FACILITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Energy, in con-
sultation with the Secretary of Commerce and State coast-
al zone management agencies administering coastal zone 
management programs approved under the Coastal Zone 
Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.), shall 
enter into agreements with persons described in subsection 
(b) providing for assessment and identification by such 
persons of sites in the coastal zone (as that term is defined 
in that Act) and in the exclusive economic zone of the 
United States that are appropriate for the location of fa-
cilities to generate renewable electric energy. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY TO PERFORM ASSESSMENTS AND 
IDENTIFICATION.—The Secretary of Energy shall enter 
into agreements under subsection (a) only with persons 
who do not and will not have any direct financial interest 
in any offshore renewable electric energy generation 
project, including State agencies referred to in subsection 
(a), local and regional governments, and universities and 
other academic institutions. 
(c) CONSISTENCY WITH COASTAL ZONE MANAGE-
MENT PROGRAMS.—For purposes of section 307 of the 
Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1456), 
any activity for the construction, operation, or mainte-
nance of a facility for offshore renewable electric energy 
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generation in a location that is identified under this sec-
tion as appropriate for that type of facility is deemed to 
be consistent with the enforceable policies of any approved 
State coastal zone management program of any affected 
coastal State. 
SEC. 4. OFFSHORE ELECTRIC POWER GENERATION FUND. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF FUND .—There is hereby es-
tablished within the Treasury of the United States a trust 
fund to be known as the Offshore Electric Power Genera-
tion Trust Fund (hereinafter in this section referred to 
as the ‘‘Fund’’), consisting of such amounts as may be 
transferred to the Fund as provided in this section. 
Amounts in the Fund may be used only to finance projects 
approved by the Secretary of Energy under this section. 
(b) TRANSFER OF AMOUNTS.—Subject to annual ap-
propriations, the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer 
to the Fund out of the general fund of the Treasury of 
the United States $100,000,000 for each fiscal year after 
the enactment of this section. 
(c) INVESTMENT OF FUND MONEYS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—It shall be the duty of the 
Secretary of the Treasury to invest such portion of 
the Fund as is not, in the Secretary’s judgment, re-
quired to meet current withdrawals. Such invest-
ments may be made only in interest-bearing obliga-
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tions of the United States or in obligations guaran-
teed as to both principal and interest by the United 
States. For such purpose, such obligations may be 
acquired on original issue at the issue price or by 
purchase of outstanding obligations at the market 
price. Any obligation acquired by the Fund may be 
sold by the Secretary of the Treasury at the market 
price. 
(2) INTEREST
AND
PROCEEDS.—The interest 
on, and the proceeds from the sale or redemption of, 
any obligations held in the Fund shall be credited to 
and form a part of the Fund. 
(d) AVAILABILITY
OF AMOUNTS FROM FUND.— 
From amounts available in the Fund (including any 
amounts not obligated in previous fiscal years), the Sec-
retary of Energy is authorized to provide grants to private 
and public entities (or public-private partnerships) in the 
United States to stimulate the development of offshore re-
newable electric energy generation. The Secretary shall 
provide such grants only to entities that themselves pro-
vide funds on a matching basis. Such grants shall be pro-
vided for programs or projects that achieve one or more 
of the following objectives: 
(1) Technical research related to offshore en-
ergy development. 
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(2) Planning and siting of offshore energy de-
velopment projects. 
(3) Demonstration and pilot offshore renewable 
energy generation projects, particularly those which 
may subsequently be expanded to a commercial 
scale. 
(4) Expansion, to a commercial scale, of dem-
onstration and pilot offshore renewable energy gen-
eration projects funded under paragraph (3). 
(5) Job training and career assistance under 
section 4. 
(e) DESIGNATION OF SITES.—The Secretary of En-
ergy, in consultation with the Governors of affected coast-
al States, and after public notice and opportunity for com-
ment, shall designate sites throughout the coastlines of the 
United States that the Secretary finds provide the greatest 
potential for being suitable and appropriate for the devel-
opment of offshore renewable energy generation. No funds 
may be made available under this section for the planning, 
siting, or development of any project that is not located 
in a site designated by the Secretary under this section. 
SEC. 5. OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY DE-
VELOPMENT FUNDING. 
(a) OFFSHORE SITE ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING 
ASSISTANCE.—There is authorized to be appropriated to 
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the Secretary of Energy $25,000,000 to assist coastal 
States in planning to identify appropriate sites for off-
shore renewable energy projects, including sites appro-
priate for demonstration and testing of offshore wind, 
wave, and tidal energy technologies. 
(b) OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY 
DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated $160,000,000 for offshore renewable energy 
research and development, and technology development as-
sistance. Funds appropriated under this subsection shall 
be used to promote advances in technology in collaboration 
with marine renewable energy centers and technology 
manufacturers. Such funds may also be used to provide 
infrastructure assistance for projects at sites that are 
identified under section 3, that are approved in a State’s 
coastal zone management plan. 
(c) MARINE RENEWABLE ENERGY CENTERS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated by the Secretary of En-
ergy and the National Science Foundation a total of 
$80,000,000 to establish and support marine renewable 
energy centers. Funds appropriated under this subsection 
shall be used to facilitate private- and public-sector col-
laborations in offshore renewable energy. Marine renew-
able energy centers to which such funds are provided shall 
use such funds to work with State officials in planning 
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and designation of offshore renewable energy sites, identi-
fying economic development opportunities for affected 
coastal communities, and coordinating the establishment 
of test centers. 
(d) MARINE RENEWABLE ENERGY TESTING.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of En-
ergy $100,000,000 to establish and support the testing 
and validation of offshore wave, wind, and tidal energy 
technologies, including wind energy blades, offshore plat-
forms, and emerging offshore renewable energy tech-
nologies. Funds appropriated under this subsection shall 
be used for the development and operation of test center 
facilities, including in-water test sites, and for the moni-
toring of the performance of technologies and of environ-
mental impacts for a period of 3 years. 
(e) STREAMLINED PERMIT PROJECTS.—There is au-
thorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Interior 
$20,000,000 for streamlined permitting for individual and 
multiple offshore renewable energy technology demonstra-
tion sites and projects that promote closer science and 
technology interaction with the Department of Energy, the 
National Science Foundation, and other permit issuing 
agencies. 
(f) EDUCATION, OUTREACH, STRATEGIC PLANNING 
AND COLLABORATION.—There is authorized to be appro-
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priated to the Secretary of Energy $40,000,000 for other 
resources needed to address, through the National Renew-
able Energy Laboratory, regional strategic planning, pub-
lic education, and outreach to promote a better public un-
derstanding of the benefits of offshore renewable energy 
and to assess large-scale project siting issues. 
(g) JOB TRAINING AND CAREER PROGRAM.—The 
Secretary of Energy may carry out a program to provide 
job training and career assistance in the offshore renew-
able generation industry. 
Æ 
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