December 20, 2011. The U.S. Interior Department said it hopes to make a decision on the location of a Google-backed offshore transmission line in the next few months, pledging that the project would not face the bureaucratic delays that plagued previous offshore renewable energy projects. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said companies backing offshore projects in the past often never knew whether they would receive the right to develop their proposal. The department has worked to streamline regulatory oversight for offshore renewable power, as part of the Obama administration's efforts to promote development of cleaner sources of energy.