US energy officials unveil strategy to boost offshore wind

The US Department of Energy announced on Wednesday that it has a new strategy to achieve its goal of a large expansion of offshore wind power to tackle climate change.

The Biden administration wants to build 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power By 2030 – enough to power more than 10 million homes. The turbines will be anchored to the seabed. It wants to deploy another 15 gigawatts of floating wind turbines By 2035, this will be enough to power 5 million homes. The first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the United States is currently underway off the coast of Massachusetts.

Strong winds do not contribute to climate change and can shut down power plants that burn and pollute, reducing emissions that cause climate change.

Through its Offshore Wind Energy Strategy, DOE sets out a plan to support offshore wind development to meet the 2030 goals. It was released during the Business Network for Offshore Wind’s Offshore Wind Energy Conference in Baltimore.

Energy Minister Jennifer Granholm promised in a statement that offshore wind would “create tens of thousands of good-paying, unionized jobs and revitalize coastal communities.”

The administration is seeking to reduce the cost of fixed offshore wind by 30% to $51 per megawatt hour by 2030 and support the industry’s domestic supply grid. He also wants to establish the United States as a leader in floating offshore wind and reduce its cost by nearly 70% to $45 per megawatt hour by 2035. and develop technologies that use offshore wind to produce hydrogen and clean fuels. Among other things, they can be used to generate electricity even when the wind isn’t blowing, eliminating the need for a clean source 24/7.

To accomplish all of this, Jocelyn Brown-Saracino, the department’s offshore wind energy lead, said DOE is bringing people together to solve offshore wind problems, collaborating with industry on technology demonstrations and offshore wind research, and funding clean energy projects.

“Our hope is that this represents a really strong contribution to the advancement of offshore wind in the United States,” he said. _______

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