One year ago, President Joe Biden and his administration announced America’s first-ever national offshore wind goal: Reach 30 gigawatts of operational offshore wind by 2030. At a time when offshore wind leadership and commitments were only happening at the state level, the announcement made quite the splash and activists like myself were over the moon about its significance for expanding the use of renewable energy.
Utilizing offshore wind will be critical for transitioning off of fossil fuels and harnessing abundant, non-polluting energy sources that never run out. In fact, offshore wind alone could provide 90% of our electricity use in the United States even if we transitioned to almost exclusively on clean electricity instead of fossil fuels. With that in mind, it’s not an overstatement to say that coastal states and the country at large won’t be able to create a cleaner, greener future without taking advantage of this key resource.
Offshore wind can help create a world where every car, bus and truck on the street is fully electric, our buildings don’t burn fossil fuels for heating and cooking, and our kids don’t suffer from diseases like asthma because the air is so clean.
Luckily, the Biden administration’s efforts have helped jumpstart development, and we’re closer than ever to making a 100% renewable energy future a reality. Historically, the arduous leasing and permitting process and delays has taken years. In fact, this time last year, there were zero utility-scale offshore wind projects approved, though many were in the pipeline. Since then, we’ve seen unprecedented progress in offshore wind, and hopefully it’s just the beginning. Let’s take a look at some highlights:
