James F. (Jim) Bennett has been appointed as Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) new Chief for the Office of Renewable Energy Programs (OREP), the program responsible for overseeing offshore renewable energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf.
“Jim’s extensive background in environmental policy and knowledge of BOEM’s mission and programs makes him the ideal choice for this important position,” said BOEM Director Abigail Ross Hopper. “As we continue to expand our renewable energy program, and work to get steel in the water, I am confident that Jim’s expertise in environmental review will facilitate the timely but thorough analysis needed to further advance the Nation’s offshore wind energy program.”
Bennett has 35 years of Federal service and has served in a variety of capacities around the Department of the Interior and the Bureau. Most recently, he served as the Chief of the Division of Environmental Assessment overseeing BOEM’s compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and other environmental laws focusing on the Federal Outer Continental Shelf programs, including oil and gas, sand and gravel, and renewable energy.
He is a graduate of the Departmental Manager Development Program and has earned two Master’s degrees, one in Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia and the other in Computer Systems Management from the University of Maryland.