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Schwarz, there is a promising outlook there. “Worldwide there is a growing imperative to reduce emissions,” he ex- plained. “Across the United States, we see more attention, action and investment to develop shore-based power instal- lations as part of the overall effort of port decarbonization, which involves transitioning to cleaner energy sources and improving operational practices to reduce emissions.”

Shore connection for vessels is a key innovation that will improve port operational practices. While in port, a ves- sel traditionally would draw from its diesel auxiliary en- gine power to generate electric power to maintain onboard essential functions, including lights, air-conditioning, etc. Shore power charging allows a vessel to instead, plug in and access electrical power from shore while docked, thereby enabling for the ship’s auxiliary engines to be shut down. With access to connect to shore power in port, ves- sel emissions can be reduced signi? cantly.

Notably, a signi? cant percentage of U.S. offshore wind lease areas are near major population centers, which are also home to port communities that have been plagued by air and noise pollution that is largely attributed to vessels using heavy fuel oil in ports. The connection of offshore wind energy to the grid can have a major and positive im- pact on the ports’ energy system. “Having a sustainable energy model behind electri? cation enables true decarbon- ization,” Schwarz said.

Going the distance

What’s been said about collaboration being key to achieving maritime decarbonization can be applied simi- larly to achieving the growth targets for U.S. offshore wind. While it may be a long shot, reaching the goal of 30 gigawatts (GW) of U.S. offshore wind by 2030 is only attainable through increased stakeholder engagement and the strengthening of cross-sector collaboration. “A lot of things are siloed in the space right now, and I think that’s hindering market development and, ultimate- ly, industry growth,” Cammarota noted. “More coopera- tion and engagement from stakeholders—both public and private—and more transparency across the board would help to mitigate delays and get things off the ground a little bit better. This industry is full of amazingly talented individuals, it’s only a matter of bringing folks to the table to ? ush out the solutions we need to reach our goals.”