Page 42: of Marine News Magazine (March 2018)

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ASSIST VESSELS

The Offshore Energy Boom: more than wind

Credit: AWEA

Domestic offshore wind also promises to generate demand for new, efficiently propelled support vessels.

he U.S. offshore wind farm industry, now in its new governor, Phil Murphy, announced plans to bring infancy, is on the verge of a massive growth surge, 3,500 MW of offshore wind capacity online by 2030, and and the boom will be felt throughout the Ameri- New York is moving to procure at least 800 MW of off-

T can maritime industry. The U.S. Of? ce of Energy Ef? - shore wind capacity through two solicitations in 2018 and ciency and Renewable Energy reported last year that there 2019, with a total of 2,400 MW by 2030. is a “robust pipeline of projects to ensure growth in the The coastal wind farms and their supporting shoreside country’s nascent offshore wind market,” with 28 projects infrastructure will be a tremendous boost to the U.S. mari- totaling over 23,700 megawatts (MW) of potential capac- time and port industries. New York has said it will invest ity currently under development. While these projects $15 million in port infrastructure and training of workers are concentrated mostly on the Eastern seaboard, others for the new jobs to be generated. A recent study, “U.S. are also under development in the Great Lakes, the West Job Creation in Offshore Wind,” published by the Clean

Coast and Hawaii. Energy States Alliance, claims that eight gigawatts (GW)

The ? rst to come online was the Block Island ? eld, of offshore wind capacity, developed along the northeast which is now said to be producing electricity for 17,000 coast from Maine to Maryland, will create some 40,000 homes. Others will follow soon. In February, New Jersey’s full-time jobs by 2028, growing to 86 GW supporting

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