Louisiana Natural Resources Committee holds hearing on offshore and land-based wind; members weigh jobs, permitting and wildlife protections

The Natural Resources Committee heard testimony March 17 about offshore and land-based wind development in Louisiana, with state agency officials, industry and conservation groups describing economic opportunity for ports and suppliers, outstanding permitting questions and measures they say are needed to protect wildlife and other ocean and coastal uses.

The hearing, convened by Chairman Guymon, brought state and regional presenters including Blake Gainfield of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources; Jenny Netherton of the Southeastern Wind Coalition; Cameron Poole of Greater New Orleans, Inc.; Stacy Ortego of the National Wildlife Federation; Monique Gerhardt of Gulf States Renewable Energy Industries; and Scott Eustace of Healthy Gulf.

Committee members and witnesses focused on four topics: (1) who regulates offshore and land-based wind and where permitting gaps exist; (2) the scale and timeline of projects and the workforce and supply-chain opportunities for Louisiana ports and manufacturers; (3) environmental and fishing-industry concerns, including protections for Rice’s whale and other marine life; and (4) model ordinances, buffers and siting rules for land-based projects.

Blake Gainfield, representing the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, told the committee the department’s role centers on offshore work: leases and operating agreements for state-owned water bottoms through the Office of Mineral Resources and permitting through the Office of Coastal Management. “We we don't have any, wind specific permitting programs,” Gainfield said, adding that coastal permitting applies when projects fall…