The Labor Energy Partnership hosted a private roundtable discussion on the Future of U.S. Offshore Wind Energy on March 26th from 1:00 – 4:00 pm ET. The LEP is based on a shared commitment by both organizations to promote federal, regional, and state energy policies that address the climate crisis while recognizing the imperatives of economic, racial, and gender justice through quality jobs and the preservation of workers’ rights.
At the time of the roundtable’s convening, the Biden-Harris Administration had proposed to double the scale of deployment of offshore wind energy by 2030. States along the Atlantic seaboard have already committed to around 32 GW of offshore wind energy by 2035, with estimates of about 20 GW in various stages of planning and development. This emerging industry is poised to significantly contribute to decarbonizing the power sector by 2035, build a robust domestic supply chain of companies, boost the reliability and resiliency of a modernized national electric grid infrastructure, and create tens of thousands of new union jobs.
This private virtual roundtable of key thought leaders was meant to inform the development of the offshore wind industry as policymakers consider infrastructure funding, economic recovery, and the development of the U.S. Nationally Determined Contribution as part of the Paris Agreement. At the roundtable, the LEP and roundtable participants sought to engage in a frank exchange of viewpoints on necessary federal policies and programs to enable the growth of a domestic supply chain and robust transmission system.
Ernest Moniz, CEO of EFI and the 13th U.S. Secretary of Energy, and Elizabeth Shuler, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO, cohosted the roundtable. The participants included eight officials from the Federal and State governments, five Labor leaders, five leaders of wind energy companies, and five leaders from industry trade groups, non-profit organizations, and academia. Kevin Knobloch, an EFI Distinguished Associate, moderated the roundtable.
