Posted on April 28, 2022
Announcements at today’s plenary session underscore need for public-private sector collaboration to address industry challenges amid rapid expansion
ATLANTIC CITY — Top government and industry leaders came together today at the International Offshore Wind Partnering Forum (IPF) to build on the tremendous growth of the American offshore wind industry. In its ninth year, the IPF is the signature event of the Business Network for Offshore Wind, a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of offshore wind and its supply chain. On the second day of this three-day conference, United States Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, European Union Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Amanda Lefton, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Richard Glick, and key industry stakeholders made important announcements that will advance domestic offshore wind development and promote a strong, sustainable supply chain in the United States.
“Innovation starts here. Education starts here. Connections start here,” said Liz Burdock, president and Executive Director of the Business Network for Offshore Wind. “This is an exciting time for the burgeoning American offshore wind market and a key moment for industry leaders and stakeholders to come together at IPF and expand their knowledge, forge new business ventures, and drive our domestic offshore wind market forward. With offshore wind, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create tens of thousands of well-paying jobs, reinvest in our communities, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and bolster global energy resilience.”
Today’s opening plenary session featured the following industry announcements and commitments:
- United States Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and European Union Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson co-led the U.S.-EU Energy Council High-Level Business Forum on Offshore Wind Power where they discussed efforts to increase transatlantic cooperation around investment in offshore wind projects and developing a local manufacturing base as part of the global offshore wind supply chain.
- Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Amanda Lefton announced new steps to advance offshore wind leasing off the coast of Oregon and in the Central Atlantic (statement from the Business Network for Offshore Wind is available here).
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Richard Glick and New Jersey Board of Public Utilities President Joseph Fiordaliso addressed the need to build a grid of the future that can accommodate growth in offshore wind access and connectivity.
The largest offshore wind conference in North America, nearly 3,000 attendees are convening at IPF from April 26 to April 28 to establish partnerships that seize on the remarkable growth of offshore wind and solve industry challenges in a collaborative way. Other speakers at Wednesday’s IPF and IPF’s WindTV included leaders from Atlantic Shores, Ørsted Offshore North America, Vestas North America, Avangrid Renewables, Aker Solutions, and Atlantic Power Transmission, as well as panelists from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), Invenergy LLC, Attentive Energy, Siemens Energy North America, RWE, and more.
Tomorrow, on the final day of 2022 IPF, the Network will welcome New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy for a lunch plenary and host a world market briefing on the path forward for global renewable energy amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine featuring RenewableUK CEO Dan McGrail.
Video of today’s plenary session will be made available to the media upon request.
For more information or to arrange an interview with the Network, contact Melinda Skea at melinda@offshorewindus.org or 202-709-9793.
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