U.S. Offshore Wind Industry Arrives
After a decade of false starts, the U.S. offshore wind industry is poised for real growth. The chief of the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s renewables office takes a look at the future of offshore wind.
After years of high hopes but little development, the U.S. offshore wind industry finally seems poised for growth following a series of major offshore project announcements this year. In May and June, the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut selected a combined 1,400 MW of offshore wind projects for contract negotiation. When complete, they’ll generate enough electricity to power 200,000 homes and help the states meet their clean energy and climate goals. The projects are all the more noteworthy given that there is currently just a single, small offshore wind farm operating in U.S. waters.
Guest Jim Bennett heads the Office of Renewable Energy Programs at the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and is the individual charged with overseeing the federal government’s involvement in developing the United States’ offshore renewable energy resources. Bennett offers his insights into what’s driving recent investment in U.S. offshore wind energy, the challenges to offshore wind development, and the potential for the offshore industry to become a vital, economically competitive source of clean electricity.
Also featured is Brandon Burke, an attorney, offshore wind researcher, and soon-to-be master’s graduate from the University of Pennsylvania.
Jim Bennett
Chief of the Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of Ocean Energy ManagementJim Bennett is chief of the Office of Renewable Energy Programs at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, within the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Brandon Burke
Policy Director, Business Network for Offshore WindBrandon Burke is a former graduate research assistant at the Kleinman Center and an attorney and Policy and Outreach Dire. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Environmental Studies program, with a Certificate in Energy Management
Andy Stone
Energy Policy Now Host and ProducerAndy Stone is producer and host of Energy Policy Now, the Kleinman Center’s podcast series. He previously worked in business planning with PJM Interconnection and was a senior energy reporter at Forbes Magazine.
