Ocean Renewable Energy Events on the Local Horizon: Public Hearings on 9/16 & 9/23, Conference on 9/17
In June, CIRenew and the Sierra Club – Cape Cod & Islands group consponsored a “Beyond Cape Wind” stakeholder forum addressing community benefit issues associated with the future offshore renewable energy projects in state and federal waters off the Cape & Islands. As the effort to build stakeholder consensus on community benefit issues continues, two upcoming events provide stakeholders and the public with opportunities to learn more about – and provide input to – project development, siting, planning, permitting, and approval processes. A hearing on the draft Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan (MOMP) is scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, at Cape Cod Community College, while the 2nd Annual “Ocean Energy Conference for New England” will be held the next day at the Cape Codder Resort in Hyannis. A MOMP hearing on Martha’s Vineyard for September 23 is also planned.

The draft MOMP designates areas appropriate for commercial-scale and community-scale projects, proposes development criteria, and addresses many other issues critical to protection and sustainable use of ocean resources. The first local hearing on the draft MOMP begins at 7 pm on 9/16 at the Tilden Arts Center Main Theater, Cape Cod Community College, 2240 Iyannough Road (Rte. 132), West Barnstable. A second local hearing begins at 6 pm on 9/23 at Katharine Cornell Theater, 51 Spring Street, Tisbury. Information on the draft plan, the review and comment process, and additional public hearings is available here.

The 2nd Annual “Ocean Energy Conference for New England” runs from 8 am to 1:30 pm on 9/17 at the Cape Codder Resort,
1225 Iyanough Road (Rte. 132), Hyannis. The conference is sponsored by the Marine Renewable Energy Center at University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.
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The program includes an overview of offshore wind, wave, and tidal energy technologies and features panel discussions focusing on federal and state planning and policy frameworks, grid integration and community benefit issues, and environmental and public interest considerations. Speakers and panelists include prominent officials from key federal and state agencies plus representatives of industry, business, and environmental organizations. Registration is $35 ($10 for students), including lunch. To view the conference program and/or to register, click here.