The U.S. Offshore Wind Market Report & Insights 2021 offers an analysis of federal and state government activity, which will help you better evaluate how the latest offshore wind industry developments may affect your business planning, and how the U.S. fits into the global offshore wind market. States along the Eastern Seaboard have now committed to install approximately 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2035. The U.S. offshore wind market experienced significant growth during 2020, with the execution of vessel contracts, hundreds of millions of dollars in state government-funded port investments, and the execution of major supply chain contracts. Legislation impacting the U.S. offshore wind industry was introduced at both the state and federal levels. This report also outlines the key offshore wind project developments of 2020 and selected events from early 2021.

Access and view the 2021 Market Report. 

Offshore wind projects are now under development along much of America’s East Coast, ranging from Maine to the Carolinas. The U.S. offshore wind industry has already seen investments exceeding $3.5 billion and the Network has tracked more than 500 supply chain contracts.

The U.S. offshore wind market is much larger than it currently appears. Collectively, East Coast states now aim to procure 32 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2035, while the Biden Administration has called for the deployment of 30 GW by 2030. As alluded to in the 2016 National Offshore Wind Strategy, in order to maximize the potential of the U.S. offshore wind market, state and federal policymakers – in collaboration with industry and other stakeholders – must accelerate their planning for large scale deployment of floating offshore wind installations.

State and federal policymakers continue the Biden Administration’s tremendous early progress on offshore wind by thinking now about the future implications and necessities of deploying floating offshore wind turbines. The U.S. offshore wind industry’s ongoing momentum can be maximized by establishing mechanisms to achieve the integrated, intergovernmental coordination, planning, and strategic decision-making that will enable: (1) the U.S. to have a floating offshore wind industry that is competitive on the global stage, and (2) for states to meet their full decarbonization commitments, which likely cannot be met without deploying substantial floating offshore wind generation capacity.

Download this Policy Briefing focused on the U.S. Opportunity in Floating Offshore Wind

The Biden Administration has expressed a clear intention to both kickstart the U.S. offshore wind industry and completely transform America’s overall electricity infrastructure. To achieve the Administration’s goal of deploying 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and ensure the long-term growth of the U.S. offshore wind industry out to 2050, strong federal leadership is required. In the immediate term, the state and federal governments must consider working with developers to fund pre-built additional transmission capacity in a way that does not delay project timelines or planned state capacity procurements. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) can also immediately leverage its existing authority to convene a collaborative stakeholder effort aimed at breaking the cost allocation deadlock that stymies interstate and interregional transmission planning for offshore wind. BOEM, in partnership with the Department of Energy, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, industry, state, local, and tribal stakeholders, can identify pathways to a holistic long-term transmission solution to achieve grid integration of 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. This stakeholder process would inform a consensus based recommendation for direct and substantial federal funding of a holistic improvement to the Northeast regional grid, centered around grid integration of 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030, and comprised of onshore and offshore components. Similar to the interstate highway system, this grid upgrade serving Northeastern states would be part of a broader federally funded multi-regional, high-voltage transmission network.

Download this Offshore Wind Policy Briefing focused on Advancements in Coordinated Transmission Approaches

The 2020 U.S. Offshore Wind Market and Insights offers an analysis of federal and state government activity to better understand how it may affect your business planning and the industry holistically. The federal government has turned its attention to the burgeoning industry to offer more regulation. Congress and federal agencies beyond the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management and U.S. Department of Energy are now affecting how the offshore wind industry will operate into the future. This report also discusses how some of the challenges facing offshore wind are being addressed.

Access and view the 2020 Market Report. 

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM), has auctioned 16 US offshore wind energy areas (WEAs) designated in federal waters for offshore wind development. Each area has been leased to a qualified offshore wind developer. The areas are located along the East Coast from North Carolina to Massachusetts and represent a total potential capacity of 21,000 Megawatts (MWs) of offshore wind power generation.

Access and view the 2019 Market Report.