Washington, D.C. — The current energy price crunch tied to Russia’s unjustified attack on Ukraine has highlighted the need for a swift and urgent transition to clean energy—not more leasing, drilling, or investments in the same volatile fuel sources that are contributing to the current energy crisis. A thriving offshore wind industry in the United States is key to achieving this goal.
While the Biden administration has given the industry some much-needed momentum, barriers and challenges still exist. A new report from the Center for American Progress outlines steps the Biden administration can take now to more firmly establish the U.S. wind industry.
This will also help drive economic development and job creation while creating new supply chains to support it. Proposed wind projects on the Atlantic Coast alone will support up to 86,000 jobs, $57 billion in investments, and provide up to $25 billion in economic output by 2030, according to the Energy Department.
“For true energy independence, for lower energy prices, and for our own health and well-being, we must urgently invest in clean energy,” said Miriam Goldstein, senior director for Conservation and director for Ocean Policy at CAP. “The United States has a golden opportunity to set up an offshore wind industry that not only brings us closer to meeting our ambitious climate goals, but creates good union jobs and boosts the economy. There is no time to waste in implementing policies to spur the strategic growth of well-sited offshore wind.”
Read the report: “The Road to 30 Gigawatts: Key Actions To Scale an Offshore Wind Industry in the United States” by Teresa Christopher, Miriam Goldstein, Mike Williams, and Alexandra Carter
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].