The U.S. has just two working offshore wind
farms — off Block Island in Rhode Island and
off Virginia — but more than two dozen others
are in various stages of development. The wind
power industry and clean energy advocates say
the new administration can make the country an
offshore wind power leader.
One way Biden could boost the offshore wind
industry would be accelerating permit procedures.
Jeff Berman, manager of emissions and clean
energy analytics at S&P Global Platts, said that
would help encourage growth “of a resource that
there isn’t very much of in this country.”
But one of the clean energy industry’s first
priorities is to regrow and even expand jobs, said
Matthew Davis, legislative director of the League
of Conservation Voters.
Estimates of employment in the U.S. clean energy
sector range from about 700,000 to 3 million
jobs. Biden pledged to create 10 million jobs.
“Biden says we need millions more solar roofs,
tens of thousands more wind turbines, getting
offshore wind industry off the ground,” Davis
said. “It’s doable but aggressive, and we’re going
to be pushing right along the administration
and our allies in Congress to make this happen.”
Industry representatives also believe
Biden’s focus on climate change and new
environmental regulations will make wind and
solar more competitive by reducing their cost
relative to fossil fuels.
East Providence, Rhode Island-based ISM Solar,
is planning six to eight new community solar
projects in Maine over the next few years,
totaling about 30 megawatts — enough to
power more than 10,000 homes.