The future of offshore wind - WCVB Boston

The future of offshore wind

THERE IS MUCH MORE TO BE DONE FOR 30 YEARS, EUROPEAN COUNTRIES HAVE DEVELOPED AND IMPROVED OFFSHORE WIND TECHNOLOGY AS IT ENTERS THE OFFSHORE WIND MARKET. THE US IS NOW PLAYING CATCH UP. RIGHT NOW, A LOT OF OUR SUPPLY CHAIN COMES FROM EUROPE. THAT’S ONLY NATURAL. AS WE BUILD UP THIS AMERICAN INDUSTRY. SO THERE WILL BE MANUFACTURED AIRING. THERE IS ALSO SKILLED LABOR THAT WE NEED AND LOTS OF IT. IN 2022, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SET AN AMBITIOUS GOAL OF REACHING 30GW OF OFFSHORE WIND POWER BY 2030. IN MASSACHUSETTS, WE HAVE A CLIMATE GOAL TO GET TO NET ZERO BY 2050. OFFSHORE WIND IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE PART OF THAT. AND WE NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE TRAINED IN THE WIND INDUSTRY WHO CAN DO INSTALLATIONS. WE NEED SHIPS, WE NEED PORTS. SO THERE’S A LOT OF CHALLENGES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. DEVELOPERS ARE FACING SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES INCREASING MATERIAL COSTS AND HIGHER INTEREST RATES, LEADING SOME TO TRY TO RENEGOTIATE POWER CONTRACTS OR CANCEL THEM ALTOGETHER. WE’VE BEEN HIT BY LITIGATION BY, YOU KNOW, SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES. WE’VE WE’VE DONE ALL THIS DURING COVID. WE CAN ACTUALLY DELIVER THIS THIS TECHNOLOGY HERE. AND IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE. ACCORDING TO A 2023 STUDY BY THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT COULD EMPLOY NEARLY 390,000 WORKERS IN THE UNITED STATES BY 2050. MASSACHUSETTS STATE SENATOR MARC PACHECO IS ENCOURAGED BY THOSE PREDICTIONS. RIGHT NOW, THE ECONOMY IS HAVING A PROBLEM FINDING PEOPLE TO TAKE THESE JOBS. AND SO THAT’S THE BIG CHALLENGE, ACTUALLY, THAT’S AHEAD OF US. BUT THE DIRECTOR OF THE WINDSTAR CENTER AT UMASS LOWELL, CHRISTOPHER NIESIECKI, SAYS THERE’S NO TIME TO WASTE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE. IF WE’RE TO REPLACE THIS CURRENT ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN WITH RENEWABLES, WE CAN’T BUILD ENOUGH. WE’VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO TO ACHIEVE NET ZERO RIGHT NOW. I WOULD ARGUE THAT WE’RE NOT DOING THINGS QUICKLY ENOUGH TO AND BRISTOL COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS THE ONLY SCHOOL IN THE US OFFERING AN OFFSHORE CERTIFICATE AND ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE PROGRAM. RIGHT? THERE’S A VARIETY OF OTHER TRAINING PROGRAMS OFFERED AS WELL. BUT AS YOU HEARD THE SENATOR SAY, THE PROBLEM IS FINDING ENOUGH WORKERS. WE HEAR THAT A LOT. THAT’S CHRONICLE FOR TONIGHT. THANKS SO MUCH F

Offshore wind looks to the future

The U.S. entered the offshore wind market late in comparison to European countries.

Updated: 8:30 PM EDT Sep 21, 2023

For 30 years, European countries have improved upon offshore wind technology. As it enters the offshore wind market, the U.S. is now playing catch up. In 2022, the Biden administration set an ambitious goal of reaching 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030, and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center notes the Bay State has a mandate requiring 1,600 megawatts of cost-effective offshore wind by 2027. Meanwhile, developers are facing supply chain issues, increasing materials costs, and high-interest rates — leading some to try to renegotiate power contracts or cancel them all altogether. According to a 2023 study by the University of California Berkeley, offshore wind development could employ nearly 390,000 workers in the United States by 2050. Massachusetts State Sen. Marc Pacheco is encouraged by those predictions, but says the industry is still facing an uphill battle. “Right now, the economy is having a problem finding people to take these jobs. And so that's the big challenge that's ahead of us, not only in offshore wind, but the clean energy economy in general,” Pacheco said.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. —

For 30 years, European countries have improved upon offshore wind technology. As it enters the offshore wind market, the U.S. is now playing catch up. In 2022, the Biden administration set an ambitious goal of reaching 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030, and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center notes the Bay State has a mandate requiring 1,600 megawatts of cost-effective offshore wind by 2027.

Meanwhile, developers are facing supply chain issues, increasing materials costs, and high-interest rates— leading some to try to renegotiate power contracts or cancel them all altogether.

According to a 2023 study by the University of California Berkeley, offshore wind development could employ nearly 390,000 workers in the United States by 2050. Massachusetts State Sen. Marc Pacheco is encouraged by those predictions, but says the industry is still facing an uphill battle.

“Right now, the economy is having a problem finding people to take these jobs. And so that's the big challenge that's ahead of us, not only in offshore wind, but the clean energy economy in general,” Pacheco said.