A slightly older post, but an important fairly recent development with regard to offshore energy in the U.S. nevertheless -- see:
http://www.ferc.gov/media/news-releases/2010/2010-4/11-18-10-E-1.asp
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today (18 Nov) proposed reforms to its rules to lay the foundation for integrating the rapid growth of variable energy resources into the nation’s power grid while ensuring reliability and bringing potential savings to customers.
The proposed rule would reform the Open Access Transmission Tariffs (OATT) and the Large Generator Interconnection Agreements filed by public utility transmission providers to require them to offer services that will allow for a more efficient integration of variable energy resources such as wind, solar and hydrokinetics into the grid system.
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