Jewell to speak at major wind industry forum

Source: Daniel Bush, E&E reporter • Posted: Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell will appear at a conference next month on offshore wind energy hosted by the American Wind Energy Association, the group announced today.

Jewell is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Oct. 7-8 conference in Atlantic City, N.J., AWEA said.

The forum will be the “largest offshore wind energy event in North America,” AWEA said in a statement.

Wind power advocates will use the conference to highlight major offshore projects, including Cape Wind, that are headed toward final approval or development.

After years of delays, Cape Wind Associates LLC announced plans earlier this month to move forward with construction of its wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts. Former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar approved the project in 2010, sparking several lawsuits from wind energy opponents.

Jewell’s appearance at the wind conference comes as the Interior Department steps up its efforts to promote renewable energy while lawmakers in Congress debate an extension of production tax credits for wind and other renewables.

Jewell visited a wind project in North Palm Springs, Calif., today to unveil a draft plan to manage renewable energy projects in California