The White House today announced the launch of a Federal-State Offshore Wind Implementation Partnership to accelerate the U.S. offshore wind industry. The Partnership includes 11 East Coast governors (CT, DE, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI) with an aim of expanding to include the West Coast and Gulf of Mexico, and the announcement coincided with a series of announcements from both the White House and the governors, including the following:
- Collaboration to expand the offshore wind supply chain
- Advancement of a National Offshore Wind Supply Chain Roadmap, with funding by the U.S. Energy Dept. and the States of New York and Maryland
- Designation of offshore wind vessels as Vessels of National Interest, which triggers priority for funding
Specific federal commitments include facilitation of timely and effective permitting and environmental reviews. In announcing the partnership, the White House said that going forward, the Partnership will provide a forum to address ocean co-use, transmission needs, and other priorities that may benefit from intergovernmental and regional coordination.
Federal participants at the event included National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg, and NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad.
