U.S. Offshore Wind Projects in Development
Two of the largest oceans in the world—the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean—surround the United States, making it a region that is ripe with offshore wind opportunity. While wind developers see plenty of potential, the U.S. has a long way to go to catch up with more mature markets, such as the UK which leads the world in installed wind capacity.
Offshore wind speeds tend to be faster than wind over land. Since higher wind speeds can produce significantly more energy/electricity, developers are increasingly interested in pursuing offshore wind energy resources. There is also excitement around the potential economic impact. According to our renewable energy career insights, offshore wind farm proposals from Maryland to Maine could create up to 36,000 full time jobs across 74 different occupations by 2030.
So let's take a look at some of the offshore wind projects currently in development in the U.S.
Empire Wind
Norway-based energy company Equinor is eyeing both U.S. coasts for offshore wind projects. The company’s first offshore wind investment—Empire Wind—will be located 14 miles south of Long Island and will power more than a million New York homes. The 816 MW project is expected to be completed in 2024.
Bay State Wind
Ørsted, which operates the Block Island Wind Farm, America’s first offshore wind farm, has several projects in various stages of development in the east coast. Most notably is Bay State Wind—a 50/50 joint venture with Eversource, New England’s largest energy provider. Located 25 miles off the Massachusetts South Coast, the Bay State Wind project has the potential to generate up to 2 GW of renewable energy.
Vineyard Wind
Vineyard Wind—the nation’s first utility-scale offshore wind energy project—will power over 400,000 homes and businesses once operational in 2023. Carbon emissions are expected to be reduced by over 1.6 million tons per year. The joint venture between Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners will be located 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and consist of an array of Haliade-X 12 MW wind turbines.
Park City Wind
Located adjacent to Vineyard Wind will be the winner of Connecticut's first offshore wind solicitation. The 804 MW Park City Wind project is scheduled to go online in 2025 and is expected to provide 14% of Connecticut's entire energy needs. Park City Wind has the potential to establish Bridgeport as an American hub for the emerging US offshore wind industry and will revitalize the area by renovating Barnum Landing and constructing an O&M facility that will service the project over it's 25-year life span.
Is offshore wind coming to the west coast?
Within the next few years, the U.S. will be seeing several offshore wind farms come online, delivering clean, renewable energy to the east coast. While no offshore wind projects are in development in the west coast, the U.S. Department of Energy recently deployed two buoys off the coast of California to gather wind measurements for 12 months. The data obtained will help developers make decisions about siting and design.
The offshore wind market is finally ramping up in the U.S. In anticipation of the tens of thousands of jobs it will create along the Eastern Seaboard, a new training facility recently opened in Maryland offering everything from basic safety training to sea survival training.
There are currently 30 offshore wind projects in some stage of development, and these projects are expected to add over $80 billion in investment over the next decade.
If you're a wind developer, Progressive can help you meet your manpower requirements to keep your projects on schedule. Contact us today to learn more about our employment solutions.
