USA outlines ambitious offshore goals

The US government has published a National Offshore Wind Strategy detailing how the country could install 86 GW of capacity by 2050.

The strategy document builds on the ‘Wind Vision’ roadmap published by the Obama administration in 2015 and identifies specific areas where the US Department of Energy (DoE) and Department of the Interior (DoI) could facilitate development.

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) welcomed the strategy and said that it would put the United States “on the path to a brighter future”.

The strategy document sets out how market conditions for investment in the sector could be improved, and how increased clarity in the regulatory process would give investors more confidence.

It also outlines the need for policy makers in the USA to reduce the costs and technical risks faced by offshore wind developers by introducing supportive measures for developers.

The strategy announcement comes just a few weeks after the completion of the Block Island wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island. The 30 MW facility is the USA’s first offshore wind farm and is due to start commercial operations by the end of the year.