US state offshore wind agreements nearly double in 2021
Published by Lydia Woellwarth,
Editor
Energy Global,
Massachusetts, US, state officials have announced that the Commonwealth selected two projects totalling 1600 MW of offshore wind generation, bringing the total state commitment to over 3200 MW. State law authorises Massachusetts to procure up to 5600 MW by 2027. The projects are expected to draw investments to the port of Salem and Falls River, incentivise new shipbuilding, and support construction of a cable facility at Brayton Point.
Actions by US states and the federal government have created real momentum in the US offshore wind industry over the past 12 months. With Massachusetts’ and Maryland's announcement, total US state offshore wind procurement stands at over 17 100 MW, nearly double compared to 9100 MW in January 2021. The Biden Administration has matched these efforts and adopted a whole-of-government approach to advance the US offshore wind industry. In 2022, the federal government approved Construction and Operations Plans (COPs) for the first two commercial scale offshore wind projects in US waters – Vineyard Wind and South Fork Wind – expanding offshore wind development to the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico and, working with Congress, unlocked funding for port and transmission infrastructure.
Liz Burdock, CEO and President of the Business Network for Offshore Wind: “Home to the first US commercial scale offshore wind farm, Massachusetts continues to drive the domestic offshore wind market forward with its full embrace of this generation technology. [The] announcement that Massachusetts’ procured another 1600 MW of offshore wind is a fitting end to a year that saw tremendous progress for the adoption of offshore wind industry as an important part of America’s clean energy portfolio. As 2021 ends, we can look back on a year that transformed US offshore wind into a national industry with developments on three coasts supported by an emerging supply chain that reaches deep into America’s heartland. While progress in the US has been noteworthy, the global growth of the offshore wind industry continues at a blistering pace, which will put further strain on supply chains. This further emphasises the critical need for state and federal stakeholders to maintain momentum in 2022 and continue prioritising domestic supply chain development and offshore wind adoption.”
Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/30122021/us-state-offshore-wind-agreements-nearly-double-in-2021/
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