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US launches new federal-state partnership to grow domestic offshore wind supply chain

The White House has announced that it is joining with 11 governors from East Coast states to launch the Federal-State Offshore Wind Implementation Partnership, which is intended to accelerate America’s growing offshore wind industry.

The partners will work together to build a strong US-based supply chain for offshore wind, grow a skilled workforce, and build on work to address important regional matters such as transmission and interconnection, fishing and other ocean co-use issues, and other key priorities. The partnership will look to expand to the West Coast and the Gulf of Mexico as offshore wind energy projects develop in those regions.

As a first step, the Biden Administration and governors are endorsing a set of federal, state and mutual commitments to expand key elements of the supply chain, including manufacturing facilities for offshore wind components, port capabilities, logistics networks needed to install projects, and workforce development. Working together, the partners will track progress, anticipate future needs, and collaborate on a regional and national basis.

The Department of Energy, along with New York and Maryland, is providing funding to develop a comprehensive offshore wind supply chain roadmap, through a collaboration led by the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium and with partners including the Business Network for Offshore Wind. As part of this effort, in March 2022, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory released a report on supply chain needs, including manufactured components, ports and vessels, to deploy 30 GW by 2030. The roadmap, to be released later this year, will lay out actions to meet those needs.

The Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced the designation of offshore wind vessels as ‘vessels of national interest’ for support through the Federal Ship Financing Program, giving these applications priority for review and funding. This will assist the US shipbuilding industry, providing support for shipyards to modernise their facilities, to build and retrofit vessels, and to assist shipowners to obtain domestically produced new vessels.

The 11 states that have joined the partnership are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

Kim Biggar

Kim Biggar started writing in the supply chain sector in 2000, when she joined the Canadian Association of Supply Chain & Logistics Management. In 2004/2005, she was project manager for the Government of Canada-funded Canadian Logistics Skills Committee, which led to her 13-year role as communications manager of the Canadian Supply Chain Sector Council. A longtime freelance writer, Kim has contributed to publications including The Forwarder, 3PL Americas, The Shipper Advocate and Supply Chain Canada.
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