POLICY PRIORITIES TO ENSURE OFFSHORE WIND PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN OUR NET-ZERO FUTURE

The report argues that the U.S. must implement ambitious long-term capacity targets, holistic transmission planning, and strategic infrastructure investments to achieve a net-zero future. It emphasizes the need for coordinated site identification, streamlined permitting, and the development of a domestic supply chain and workforce to support a potential build-out of 250 to 750 GW of offshore wind by 2050.

• To provide 10 to 25 percent of U.S. electricity by 2050, the country would need to deploy between 250 and 750 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind, which could create nearly 390,000 jobs.
• The U.S. currently lacks a firm long-term federal target, though the Biden administration has set a goal of 30 GW by 2030 and 15 GW of floating offshore wind by 2035.
• Adopting a 'clustered transmission' or holistic planning approach could reduce offshore wind interconnection costs by an average of 35 percent and decrease the number of onshore line proposals by 60 to 70 percent.
• The current timeline from site identification to operation can take up to 12 years, with site assessment and surveys often taking up to five years.
• Domestic supply chain needs are significant, with an estimated cumulative investment of more than $134.4 billion (in 2022 dollars) required through 2045 for manufacturing, ports, and vessels to support 500 GW of capacity.
• The U.S. faces a critical shortage of Wind Turbine Installation Vessels (WTIVs), requiring at least eight new vessels in the 2030s and up to 43 by the 2040s to achieve 240 GW of fixed foundation installation.
• Up to 90 percent of the skills and jobs from the offshore oil and gas industry may be transferable to offshore wind, offering a pathway for a just transition for approximately 176,000 workers.
• Current U.S. leasing processes can be improved by expanding 'bid credits' for non-monetary contributions, such as community benefits and workforce development, to incentivize a more equitable industry growth.

APA

O’Boyle, M., Solomon, M., Wooley, D., & Matos, J. (2023). POLICY PRIORITIES TO ENSURE OFFSHORE WIND PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN OUR NET-ZERO FUTURE. Energy Innovation. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/2035-Offshore-Wind-Policy-Paper-2.pdf

Chicago

O’Boyle, Michael, Michelle Solomon, David Wooley, and Jamie Matos. POLICY PRIORITIES TO ENSURE OFFSHORE WIND PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN OUR NET-ZERO FUTURE. Energy Innovation, 2023. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/2035-Offshore-Wind-Policy-Paper-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=O’Boyle |first1=Michael |last2=Solomon |first2=Michelle |last3=Wooley |first3=David |last4=Matos |first4=Jamie |title=POLICY PRIORITIES TO ENSURE OFFSHORE WIND PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN OUR NET-ZERO FUTURE |publisher=Energy Innovation |date=August 2023 |url=https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/2035-Offshore-Wind-Policy-Paper-2.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{oboyle2023policy, author = {O’Boyle, Michael and Solomon, Michelle and Wooley, David and Matos, Jamie}, title = {{POLICY PRIORITIES TO ENSURE OFFSHORE WIND PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN OUR NET-ZERO FUTURE}}, institution = {Energy Innovation}, year = {2023}, month = aug, url = {https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/2035-Offshore-Wind-Policy-Paper-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }