Four US States Get Offshore Wind Support

The Business Network for Offshore Wind has partnered with New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland in the United States to help them develop offshore wind projects.

The Network has dedicated to bringing offshore wind supply-chain practitioners in all four states and encouraging the states interested in the industry to work together for the sake of jobs, costs and green energy.

The organization is working with the New York State Energy Research & Development (NYSERDA) to assist with a supply chain database and has conducted outreach, which included companies’ offshore wind capabilities and specific supply chain fields, so NYSERDA can choose whom to meet.

In New Jersey, the Business Network will facilitate and help assess the supply chain and communication between working groups and the public and will connect companies to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJ BPU), as part of a team leading the development of the state’s strategic plan for offshore wind.

Furthermore, the Network will work with BVG Associates in Virginia to help the Commonwealth strengthen its position to attract the offshore wind supply chain and service industry. The organization is also working to formalize the Maryland Offshore Wind Cluster, aiming to expand public and private sector knowledge, expertise and contacts in order to participate in the global offshore wind supply chain and maximize the state’s content in the development of projects.

Additionally, the organization has been subcontracted to work with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to assist the development of a new suite of offshore standards and guidelines that will clarify the requirements for developers and equipment manufacturers and allow regulators to adopt best industry practices.

“Working with the energy experts in these states, we will encourage them to help each other create electricity at lower costs for all their customers,” said Liz Burdock, the Network Executive Director and Co-founder.

“When states can aggregate projects together and provide developers with scale, the industry can achieve more favorable financing and supply chain economies, driving down costs further while simultaneously creating an abundance of jobs.”