I welcome the Department of the Interior's announcement that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has announced a Proposed Sale Notice to lease areas in waters off the coast of Virginia for commercial wind energy development. This is a step in the right direction and puts us closer to the goal of harvesting renewable energy to power the electric grid in Virginia and throughout the Mid-Atlantic states. A comprehensive solution and the key to unlocking jobs within Hampton Roads would be to move forward on wind energy while simultaneously lifting the ban on offshore oil and gas development.