Full Title: Offshore Wind for America
Author(s): Bryn Huxley-Reicher, Hannah Read
Publisher(s): Environment America, Frontier Group
Publication Date: March 21, 2021
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Offshore wind has the technical capacity to power the country with clean energy. The United States has the technical potential to produce more than 7,200 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity from offshore wind, which is almost two times the amount of electricity the U.S. consumed in 2019 and about 90% of the amount of electricity the nation would consume in 2050 if we electrified our buildings, transportation system and industry and transitioned them to run on electricity instead of fossil fuels.
Offshore wind can help repower the U.S. with clean energy – but taking advantage of the opportunity will require support from policymakers and regulatory bodies. To help the industry grow, and to hasten the transition to renewable energy, governments and regulatory agencies at all levels should:
- • Provide market certainty for offshore wind, as Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Virginia have done by setting enforceable targets for offshore wind deployment.
- • Support domestic supply chain development.
- • Set national standards to ensure the environmental integrity of offshore wind projects and to avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts to marine ecosystems and wildlife.
- • Direct the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and relevant state agencies to accelerate the offshore wind leasing and permitting process while ensuring transparency and environmental responsibility.
- • Increase and extend tax credits for offshore wind power.
- • Plan for regional offshore wind development, including transmission infrastructure.
- • Support research and development of new offshore wind technologies.