The US House passed legislation enabling Offshore wind lease sales in the territories. KHJ News Washington correspondent Matt Kaye reports—
The bipartisan measure by Guam’s Madeleine Bordallo,and co-sponsored by American Samoa’s Aumua Amata Radewagen, easily won House approval by voice vote, but still needs Senate approval.
The bill sets offshore wind lease-sale requirements in federal waters near the islands and creates dedicated funding for coral reef conservation.
The “Offshore Wind for Territories Act” amends earlier law to include lands in the US exclusive economic zone near a territory.
House Natural Resources Chair Rob Bishop says the bill addresses the longstanding power needs of the US islands…
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Congresswoman Radewagen clarifies that the bill “does not propose” wind lease activity for American Samoa, but simply recognizes each territory’s right to decide wind options.
Amata calls the choice a matter of “self-determination.”
The bill meantime, distributes half the lease rents and royalties to the US Treasury,more than 12-percent in a permanent Coral Reef Conservation Fund…and the rest, more than 37-percent to the territories.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the islands’ share at some $20-million.
The bill requires a lease sale feasibility study in all the US islands, in consultation with each island governor, and the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Lab.
The Secretary of Interior would use the study to nominate tracts and conduct a tleast one wind lease sale in each territory.
The House in a separate vote, was set to reaffirm the strong commitment of the US to the countries and territories of the Pacific Islands region.
