January 11, 2024 While the industry experienced significant macroeconomic challenges in 2023, Oceantic Network has been instrumental in guiding policymakers through the complexities of the offshore wind sector. Our behind-the-scenes efforts with the highest levels of federal and state governments have been pivotal to ensure that the perspectives and interests of our industry are both understood and considered. We leveraged data from our Supply Chain Connect and Offshore Wind Market Dashboard databases to demonstrate and communicate the positive economic impact offshore wind development is having in states like Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York as they debated the best actions to support industry development. We also bolstered states as they pushed new procurement awards forward (like in New York) that are helping reset market expectations and establish a path forward that state leaders can take with confidence. Furthermore, Oceantic Network maintained an active dialogue with various state agencies, the Department of the Interior (DOI), and the White House regarding the Central Atlantic Lease Area. We were a catalyst for action and worked closely with local and national partners to effectively communicate the need for robust lease areas and ensure states like Maryland and North Carolina can meet their offshore wind goals. Our hard-won commitment from the Biden Administration to continue leasing in the Central Atlantic bolsters our efforts to build a world-class regional supply chain. Other policy and regulatory achievements include: Regulatory and Stakeholder Engagement: We submitted twelve state and federal regulatory comments educating decisionmakers about offshore wind’s unique needs and engaged with a broad spectrum of stakeholders across 14 states and 6 federal agencies, including prominent entities like the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Coast Guard. Coalition Support and Advocacy: Our pivotal role in the enactment of Maryland’s 8.5 GW POWER Act and spearheading new initiatives in the Gulf of Mexico and West Coast solidified our standing as influencers in sustainable energy policy. Publications and Reports: Our 2023 Annual Market Report received commendation from the White House and our collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to produce Supply Chain Road Map for Offshore Wind Energy in the United States established new benchmarks for the industry. Working Groups: We worked with our members to convene seven Working Groups in areas such as data & digitalization, port & vessel financing, and coordinated transmission development. These groups have emerged as epicenters of expertise, fostering innovation and strategic partnerships. Industry and Public Education Member and stakeholder feedback informed us that one of Oceantic Network’s most significant contributions is helping small businesses navigate the complexities of entering the offshore wind industry. Oceantic Network’s industry education and training programs empower businesses to diversify into the industry to expand and strengthen the supply chain. Our educational endeavors have remained a cornerstone of our outreach. Noteworthy achievements include: 500 people attended the Foundation 2 Blade industry training 402 people participated in the Offshore Wind Ready program 2,000 people showed up for Offshore Wind 101 (a testament to the growing interest in our sector) Public Education Collaboration Our collaboration with Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore of Maryland for the Offshore Wind Experience Hub at the Perdue Henderson Junior Achievement Center is groundbreaking. This initiative is a dynamic model for developers, tier 1 suppliers, and others to use across the nation to educate youth and incite enthusiasm for offshore wind’s benefits. We anticipate educating over 15,000 students annually, in a geographical area that has been a hot bed for public opposition and NIMBYism. Strategic Growth and Future Directions As we pivot towards 2024, Oceantic Network remains committed to offshore wind and helping industry navigate existing and unforeseen challenges. Our 2024 priorities include: Implementing action items from the 2023 Leadership100 gathering, with a focus on state procurement best practices and better communicating economic benefits Advancing industry standards to ensure our members are industry pacesetters Supporting offshore wind’s expansion to the West and Gulf Coasts with events, networking, education, and supply chain advocacy Bolstering membership value communication to underscore the tangible benefits of our Network
January 3, 2024 “How Big Things Get Done” In Offshore Wind: A 2024 IPF Keynote Businesses across the board launch large projects all the time. These projects, and the industries themselves, require new technologies, infrastructure, research, a robust supply chain, and solid financing to achieve economic success. But to realize these things requires time, collaboration, investment, and above all else — planning. And the offshore wind industry is no different. The U.S. is ramping up its investments and programs to achieve 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030, plus 15 GW of floating wind by 2035. However, outside pressures, including inflation, interest rates, and global competition, are actively impacting projects. These types of disruptions aren’t uncommon in the world of mega-projects. Such endeavors often take longer than expected, go over budget, and include unforeseen problems. It’s an alarming trend in which most muti-billion-dollar projects across all industries stumble, face obstacles, and/or change course. With our climate future on the line, it’s more important than ever that the offshore wind industry remains focused on efficient project delivery to avoid such delays. So, how do we course-correct projects to create a brighter future for our industry? Best-selling author and former journalist Dan Gardner has some ideas and will share insights and takeaways from his new book, How Big Things Get Done, at Oceantic Network’s 2024 International Partnering Forum (IPF Week), taking place April 22-25 in New Orleans. How Big Things Get Done provides a vision to help companies, governments, and industries of all kinds manage successful mega projects. It identifies key factors and warning signs of decision-making errors that impact a project’s critical path. Ultimately, Garner stresses that turning a vision into a plan with successful deliverables happens when you think slowly and act fast. Offshore wind projects are not immune to the pitfalls that Gardner will address. Offshore wind energy production and distribution are complex systems that require intense planning and strong execution. And with pressures to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and deliver more power, the industry cannot afford budget overruns and project delays. As more offshore wind projects are added to the pipeline in the U.S., we need to spend more time in the planning phases, as well as the tools and resources required to execute mega-projects that deliver as promised. Gardner’s insights can be a big help. His exploration of why so many mega projects fail can provide important and useful insights relevant to offshore wind development projects. Don’t miss Gardner’s keynote presentation during the Opening Plenary session on April 24, and learn how to use his ideology, techniques, and best practices for your offshore wind projects as well as many other key learnings from other industry leaders and experts at 2024 IPF.
December 20, 2023 Calling all engineers and scientists! You spoke, we listened, and this year we’ve added a Scientific & Technical Workshop Track to the 2024 International Partnering Forum (IPF Week), taking place April 22-25 in New Orleans. These workshops offer a deep dive into technical challenges and scientific topics in the global offshore wind industry. Speakers include scientists, researchers, and engineers from key companies and government agencies who are focused on transforming and creating offshore wind technologies to meet evolving industry needs. The Scientific & Technical Workshop Track was developed in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a national laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy. Workshop speakers will offer the latest technical and scientific information on subjects such as glauconite, hurricane resiliency, and state-of-the-art turbine design. Amid this period of substantial change for the industry, it’s critical these outstanding and emerging challenges are addressed at a technical level. “It’s important that IPF address not only the challenges that exist at the C-Suite level and out in the field, but also those facing scientists and engineers, without whom we would be unable to make clean energy a reality,” said Liz Burdock, President & CEO of Oceantic Network. “I am thankful to NREL, in particular Walter Musial and Amy Robertson, for guiding the direction of this track and offering the impressive expertise of their team and network to our IPF audience.” For over ten years, IPF has been the place to learn, connect, and collaborate on current bottlenecks, potential solutions, and new technologies in offshore wind. With the inclusion of the Technical & Scientific Track, experts at all levels and specialties can engage in IPF Week’s global information exchange. “Adding this new track increases the technical depth of IPF and engages an even wider pool of offshore wind engineers, scientists, and others who need and want a deep dive into the industry’s latest research and findings,” said Walt Musial, Chief Engineer of Offshore Wind Energy at NREL. “It’s critical to engage all levels of the offshore wind industry in information-sharing to ensure the successful growth of global offshore wind. I am pleased that NREL and Oceantic Network could partner on this exciting new addition to this year’s IPF Week and look forward to seeing these panels in action.” Preview the Scientific & Technical Workshop Track below. Detailed information on workshop topics, speakers, and scheduling will be available in early 2024. What’s the big deal about glauconite? Inter-array effects and mitigation of downstream cluster wakes in the Atlantic Designing offshore wind turbines to survive major hurricanes Weather and energy forecasting in the age of Exascale computing Advanced wind turbine controls: shaping the next generation of offshore wind State-of-the-art offshore wind design Offshore wind predictive maintenance using digital twins and AI IPF Week, presented by the Oceantic Network (formerly the Business Network for Offshore Wind), is the premier offshore wind conference in the Americas and is expected to draw over 4,000 attendees to New Orleans for a week of presentations, discussions, networking, and celebrations of the global offshore wind and ocean renewables industries. The Scientific & Technical Workshop Track is one of several tracks that will be part of IPF Week’s Educational and Technical Workshops, which will be held throughout Wednesday and Thursday, April 24-25. Other tracks include Ports & Vessels, Finance & Insurance, Operations & Maintenance, and more. Information about other IPF sessions and schedules is available on the 2024 IPF website.
December 7, 2023 Walk the red carpet at 2024 IPF with the U.S. premiere of Planet Wind Oceantic Network (formerly the Business Network for Offshore Wind) is proud to announce the highly anticipated U.S. premiere of Planet Wind, a new film by Andy Evans, an Australian renewable energy pioneer, that explores the history, culture, and transformative potential of offshore wind across the globe. The film will be shown at an exclusive reception and screening on Tuesday, April 23 for attendees of the International Partnering Forum (IPF), taking place April 22-25, 2024, in New Orleans. Planet Wind follows Creator and Host Andy Evans as he tells the stories of offshore wind energy in eight countries. He is joined throughout the film by over 20 offshore wind experts who share their personal experiences with the industry and reflect upon their impact on the development and future potential of wind as an energy source. Oceantic Network President and CEO Liz Burdock is among the leaders featured in the film for her contributions and support of the industry over the past decade. “We’re excited to tell the world about offshore wind and host the U.S. premiere of Planet Wind at 2024 IPF in New Orleans, one of the future hubs for offshore wind in North America,” said Evans. “The film demonstrates a visionary perspective on the sustainability of wind energy and energy interdependence, and I eagerly look forward to sharing this perspective with offshore wind industry leaders at IPF in New Orleans.” The location of the screening will be announced in the coming months. Interested attendees can reserve space at the reception and screening as part of their IPF registration for no additional cost. “Thank you, Andy and Dom, for lifting our industry’s voices and shining a spotlight on what we do. I’m so grateful and humbled to be part of this film,” said Burdock. “This movie shows we are all part of the global offshore wind market and reinforces that what we do every day has meaning and impact. Planet Wind is the perfect example of how we should be telling our story as an industry. We need to think big, bold, and new. If we don’t change the way we tell our story, people aren’t going to hear us.” The movie showcases the human stories and real reasons why offshore wind energy has flourished, and the importance of the wind as a planetary force that can be utilized to power our world. It demonstrates the growing demand for electricity worldwide and how offshore wind offers a promising solution to energy independence, reductions in carbon emissions, and new jobs and economic opportunities in areas hit hard by industrial decline. The leadership, dedication, and artistic direction of Evans and Director and Producer Dominic Allen bring Planet Wind to life and makes the film a must-see — especially for those in the offshore wind industry. Since it’s official release in Australia in November, Planet Wind has received rave reviews. “Traveling with Liz to Bedford to film the U.S. portion of Planet Wind was a special experience and one that highlighted for me the role the U.S. is playing in harnessing this powerful resource,” Allen said. “Liz’s story and her contributions, as well as those of Oceantic Network, are among the most powerful in the documentary, especially in the conclusion when she describes the generational responsibility we have to protect our Earth. I’m grateful we could incorporate her journey as part of our film.” The International Partnering Forum (IPF) is the premier offshore wind energy conference in the Americas. Hosted by the Oceantic Network, IPF connects global leaders and businesses in the supply chain, offers unparalleled networking opportunities, and delivers the most timely and relevant updates on the industry, from technology and policy to safety and siting. Register for the 2024 IPF conference.
October 17, 2023 Oceantic Network (formerly the Business Network for Offshore Wind) releases its U.S. Offshore Wind Quarterly Market Report in April, July, October, and January. Each builds off our U.S. Offshore Wind Annual Market Report and provides key analysis of both federal and state government activities impacting the U.S. offshore wind industry. Quarterly Reports ensure companies are informed on offshore wind industry developments affecting their business. The period from July to September of 2023 (Q3) is notable for substantial development of the U.S. supply chain, particularly when it comes to shipbuilding and secondary steel work, as the nation’s first two commercial-scale projects went from steel in the water to blades in the sky. As Vineyard Wind and South Fork Wind sit on the precipice of delivering their first power to the grid, the pipeline of projects approved for construction has tripled in size with more projects just weeks away from achieving final approval themselves. The report details important developments that affected the U.S. offshore wind industry in the third quarter of 2023, including: The pipeline of projects permitted for construction tripled in the third quarter of 2023, up to 2.7 GW, with more approvals expected to come in the fourth quarter. Three projects, totaling 3.2 GW, have officially announced contract terminations. Each project will attempt to secure a new contract in upcoming state procurement rounds. East Coast states increased their coordination, highlighted by new procurement rounds in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Vessel-building and secondary steel manufacturing delivered strong performances among offshore wind supply chain subsectors. New York is expected to award new power agreements in the fourth quarter, and with that could come new investments in turbine blade and nacelle facilities.
September 20, 2023 Oceantic Network’s report, Building a National Network of Offshore Wind Ports: A $36B Plan for Domestic Clean Energy Infrastructure highlights the urgent need for both public and private investment in the port infrastructure projects needed to meet the U.S.’s offshore wind power generation goals. Authored by Brian Sabina, CEO of Clean Energy Terminals and Oceantic Network’s Ports Working Group, the report lays out a $36 billion plan for developing domestic port infrastructure to help the U.S. reach its offshore wind deployment goals of 30 GW by 2030 and 110 GW by 2050. It offers practical cost and timing requirements for needed projects to ensure ports are ready to meet current and future demand. The report also outlines nine approaches state and federal policymakers could take to encourage private investment, either by subsidizing portions of the infrastructure costs or by de-risking projects to drive confidence and cost-efficiency. While development of the U.S. offshore wind industry has accelerated rapidly in the past two years, the industry’s long-term ability to scale and meet demand faces key bottlenecks and hurdles. That includes the U.S. port infrastructure system, which is currently unable to support projected offshore wind component manufacturing and project deployment. Already, more than $2.5 billion has been invested in U.S. ports, but unleashing the full potential of the industry requires a new understanding of long-term port requirements needs and development timelines to enable sustainable offshore wind growth that will create thousands of manufacturing, logistics, and operations jobs. The Report’s key findings include: Port infrastructure is one of the most significant bottlenecks impeding the advancement of the United States offshore wind industry. The U.S. needs approximately 110 port development sites across the East Coast, West Coast, and the Gulf of Mexico to support the full buildout of the industry (35 are already in development.) Without additional government funding and policy supports that incentivize private investment into U.S. offshore wind port infrastructure, port capacity will continue to be a major offshore wind deployment constraint across the country. The total cost to address the nation’s offshore wind port infrastructure gap is estimated to be $36 billion over the next decade when realistically accounting for construction cost inflation. Download and read Building a National Network of Offshore Wind Ports now.
