Wind power is pushing ahead despite the headwinds. The Biden administration‘s ambitious pledge to build 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 is actually happening. Courts have repeatedly slapped down Trump-era attempts to block these projects. It’s about time.
After years of delays and red tape, America’s first major commercial offshore wind farm, Vineyard Wind, got the green light in May 2021. Construction actually started in November that year. No turning back now. The South Fork Wind Project followed suit, gaining approval in late 2021. Vineyard Wind LLC secured $2.3 billion in debt financing for its groundbreaking project off the Massachusetts coast. These aren’t just pilot projects – they’re the real deal.
America’s offshore wind revolution is finally here—major projects approved, under construction, and unstoppable.
The numbers don’t lie. The U.S. offshore wind pipeline grew a whopping 24% to 35,324 megawatts in various development stages. Eight projects will start spinning their blades in 2023 alone, delivering over 2,000 megawatts. By 2025, we’re looking at 15 offshore wind farms pumping out 6,500 megawatts. Not too shabby for a country that barely had offshore wind on its radar five years ago.
Cash is flowing too. Meeting the 30 gigawatt target means pumping over $12 billion yearly into these projects. That translates to jobs – 44,000 workers directly in offshore wind by 2030, plus another 33,000 in nearby communities. The Biden-Harris Administration has already triggered $1 trillion in clean energy investments. This investment complements the remarkable growth in solar power, which accounted for 64% of capacity additions to the grid last year.
States aren’t sitting on their hands either. Eight of them have set procurement goals totaling nearly 40,000 megawatts by 2040. The Department of Interior is planning up to seven offshore lease sales by 2025, from the Gulf of Maine to Oregon’s coast.
Sure, these projects face challenges. The permitting process still takes years. But federal action, state commitments, and falling prices have created unstoppable momentum. The health and climate benefits of wind energy are nearly three times its levelized cost, making it an economically sensible choice for our future.
Wind already provides over 10% of electricity in 16 states. In Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and North Dakota, it’s over 30%. The clean energy train has left the station. No court challenges can stop it now.
References
- https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2021/12/biden-administrations-focus-on-offshore-wind-energy
- https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/wind-market-reports-2021-edition
- https://cleanair.org/offshorewind/
- https://www.apmresearchlab.org/offshore-wind
- https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/energy-business/energy-finance/the-biden-administration-has-spurred-1-trillion-in-clean-energy-investments/
- https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/5ae32253-7409-4f9a-a91d-1493ffb9777a/Renewables2021-Analysisandforecastto2026.pdf
- https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/
- https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/windexchange/windexchange
- https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/usa/2022-07-06/policies-action/
