Stronger Winds Blowing Off the Atlantic Coast
We are seeing strong signs of a burgeoning offshore wind industry off the Atlantic Seaboard. While modest, the first offshore wind project, Deepwater Wind, is fully operational in Rhode Island state waters, bringing low-cost renewable energy to the residents of Block Island. In addition, new projects in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, described further below, are setting the stage for the construction of much larger offshore wind farms in federal waters. From Maine to North Carolina, governors and states are lining up to be a part of the offshore wind revolution. This is good news for developers, suppliers, consumers, and the environment.
Why This Is Happening Now
There are several reasons why offshore wind is taking off now. In the first place, the price of offshore wind is coming down—largely based on Europe’s experience with offshore wind and bringing this experience to the United States as lessees, partners, and contractors, as well as the development of improved and more efficient turbines and other related technologies. Indeed, European developers and contractors are now looking to partner with U.S. interests. In addition, companies are finding ways to work within the framework of the Jones Act, as discussed in more detail below.
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“Stronger Winds Blowing Off the Atlantic Coast,” by Joan M. Bondareff and Jonathan K. Waldron was published in the September 2018 of Pratt’s Energy Law Report (Vol. 18-8), an A.S. Pratt Publication, LexisNexis. Reprinted with permission.
This article was first published in the June 2018 edition of Mainbrace, Blank Rome's quarterly maritime newsletter.