Fascinating complexity of the US regulatory landscape - Floating offshore energy project
Shashikant Sarada MS, PE, PMP
Vice President | Offshore Engineering | Power & Energy | PE in Civil, Mech, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering | Licensed Fire Protection Engineer
It is generally well understood that the development of offshore energy projects in the US Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) involves the intricate interplay of various federal acts and multiple federal agencies and departments.
One of the intriguing aspects of regulatory framework in the US is how several key federal acts confer authority to multiple federal agencies. For instance, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) provides a framework for leasing and regulating activities on the OCS, but it doesn't assign this responsibility to a single agency. It involves various federal entities, each with its specific role and expertise. Understanding how these acts empower multiple federal agencies is crucial to comprehending the US regulatory framework for offshore energy projects.
It often becomes necessary for the primary agency, such as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), to coordinate the review and approval processes involving several other federal agencies. This coordination is not only a matter of ensuring compliance with applicable laws but also a practical necessity to involve relevant subject matter experts in the technical review and regulatory approval process. In some cases, state governments play a role in this process, adding an additional layer of complexity to the coordination efforts by the primary agency.
In the table below, an effort is made to summarize both, the legal underpinnings and multi-agency interactions, relevant for offshore wind industry in the US OCS.
Understanding the complexity of the US regulatory framework is crucial for establishing a well-structured hierarchy of references that set the legal framework and design basis for offshore wind projects in the US OCS. Federal laws and along with their associated regulations, form the top tier of the hierarchy as shown in the illustration below).
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For further details on hierarchy of references, please see: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/recommended-hierarchy-references-offshore-wind-projects-sarada
For further details on design basis approach, please see:
Please feel free to reach out to me or Eric Oliver, PE, CSP with your comments / questions / suggestions.
Mechanical Engineer | Manager
1 年Shashikant Sarada by visualizing your summary table I could indeed grasp the concept of the legal underpinnings and multi-agency interactions relevant for offshore energy industry in the U.S. OCS. Thanks for sharing this knowledge in a palatable manner.