President Barack Obama formally established an interagency group Tuesday that will coordinate regulatory efforts on energy development in Alaska.
The group will be chaired by Deputy Interior Department Secretary David Hayes, who said its goal will be to simplify decision making on permits by sharing information among the large number of federal, state and local interests that weigh in on energy issues.
"We'll simplify decision-making processes by making sure that we're doing our part to collaborate as we evaluate permits and conduct rigorous environmental reviews," Hayes said in a White House blog post and during remarks at a conference on the Arctic sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"This means talking about schedules and progress, sharing application project information, scientific and environmental data, and cultural and traditional knowledge and making sure that our decisions are based on the best information available," Hayes said.
The group will include the Department of Defense, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, Department of Homeland Security, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects.
Hayes said the group would not be a "super permitting agency, a one-stop shop" for companies seeking permits to drill offshore or onshore, or for companies looking to install renewable energy projects in Alaska.
"We're really a coordinating group," Hayes said. "Each agency continues to have their jurisdictional responsibilities."
Hayes noted that Alaska has "special challenges" when it comes to permitting. Companies seeking permits in Alaska often have to obtain additional permits from the Army Corps of Engineers or the Environmental Protection Agency.
A "dry run" of the coordinating process is being conducted now as various agencies consider an exploration plan filed by Shell to drill exploratory wells next summer in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, Hayes said.
"We're working with the other agencies that have clear permitting responsibility along with us, including, for example, the EPA and [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration], and making sure that timing-wise that we are all synced up and we are collaborating and sharing information. It's working well."
