Offshore Wind: Can the United States Catch up with Europe?

As of 2016, Europe dominated the global offshore wind market, with the UK, Germany, and Denmark leading in installed capacity. The United States, while possessing vast potential (over 4,000 GW), was in the early stages of deployment with its first commercial project at Block Island. The document highlights the technical advantages of offshore wind—such as stronger winds and proximity to coastal population centers—and notes the significant job creation potential in the EU sector.

• Europe is the global leader in offshore wind, possessing over 90 percent of the world's total installed capacity. As of June 30, 2015, the European Union had 10,393.6 MW of capacity across 82 farms and 3,072 grid-connected turbines in 11 countries.
• The United Kingdom, Germany, and Denmark are the primary European market leaders. The UK holds the largest share with 5,017 MW (48% of Europe's capacity), followed by Germany with 2,760 MW (27%) and Denmark with 1,271 MW (12%).
• The United States has significant offshore wind potential, estimated by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at over 4,000 GW. The federal government predicts the U.S. will reach 22,000 MW of capacity by 2030, with the first commercial farm at Block Island scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2016.
• Offshore wind offers several technical and logistical advantages over onshore wind, including stronger and more consistent winds, reduced land-use conflicts, and closer proximity to large coastal population centers, which reduces the need for long transmission lines.
• Offshore wind energy is a significant driver of employment in the EU, with sector employment increasing twelvefold from 6,370 jobs in 2007 to 75,000 in 2014. The European Wind Energy Agency (EWEA) estimates that offshore wind creates an additional 2,800 jobs per MW compared to onshore wind.
• Future projections for European offshore wind vary. The EWEA targets 40 GW by 2020 and 150 GW by 2030, while Ernst and Young provides more conservative estimates of 23.5 GW by 2020 and between 43.8 and 64.8 GW by 2030.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2016). Offshore Wind: Can the United States Catch up with Europe? https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_OffshoreWind_01.04.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Offshore Wind: Can the United States Catch up with Europe? 2016. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_OffshoreWind_01.04.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Offshore Wind: Can the United States Catch up with Europe? |date=January 2016 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_OffshoreWind_01.04.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2016offshore, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Offshore Wind: Can the United States Catch up with Europe?}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2016}, month = jan, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_OffshoreWind_01.04.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }