1. OFFSHORE WIND:
Interior moves closer to first mid-Atlantic lease sale
The Obama administration is forging ahead with a plan to make hundreds of thousands of acres of mid-Atlantic waters available for offshore wind farm leasing after confirming the development won't significantly affect other ocean users. The Interior Department said it has finalized an environmental assessment that clears the way for leases as early as this year off the coasts of Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and New Jersey. Go to story #1