INSIGHT: Offshore Wind Is ‘Energy’ for New England Economies

As of June 18, approximately 45 million unemployment claims have been filed nationwide since mid-March according to the most recent data published by the Department of Labor.

New England’s dense population of more than 14.8 million is regrettably not immune to the job loss triggered by the pandemic. Thus far, local and national leaders have focused on short-term initiatives to save lives and prevent economic precarity.

While these measures are essential to security in the immediate, we also have the chance to reinvent New England’s workforce so citizens can find strong employment—thereby facilitating the road to job recovery and resilience. Yet little is being said about the sizable opportunity along the Atlantic—offshore wind.

We often hear from political leaders about the need to “recover” lost jobs affected by Covid-19 by subsidizing sectors with often environmentally destructive foundations that existed even prior to the pandemic.

However, what if we dared to build an offshore wind economy that has the ability to create thousands of sustainable jobs, generate clean energy, and revitalize once-thriving New England port cities? What if we leveraged the maritime tradition of our region and oriented supply chains towards another channel of growth? When we consider the possibilities given the recession-level economy, offshore wind just makes sense.

Effort Already in Motion

In fact, offshore started moving forward in New England years ago, so the opportunity in front of us is well-underway. The Massachusetts Legislature and Gov. Charlie Baker (R) signed in August 2016 (An Act Relative to Energy Diversity (H. 4568)) to construct 1,600 megawatts of cost-effective offshore wind by 2027 to generate economic opportunities and thousands of jobs.

In January 2019, New Hampshire put forth a joint resolution to support development of wind power off the state’s coast. In June 2019, Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed into law LD 994, a legislation that approved the demonstration project of floating offshore wind tech.

Financially, the planned offshore wind operation and maintenance (O&M) of just four anticipated projects in Massachusetts are estimated to create a total economic impact of between $201.1 million to $364.3 million annually according to a recent Massachusetts Offshore Wind Workforce Assessment study.

Just imagine the economic potential if we mobilized all of New England’s coastline for offshore wind—not to mention the security, community, and environmental benefits.

Some might say re-tooling New England for offshore would be far too speculative or difficult. Not so. We have the skills embedded in our region. Along the Atlantic we possess years of maritime heritage, manufacturing, engineering, and skilled workers to be deployed. Let’s take New Bedford, Mass., for instance. This fishing city’s stakeholders collaborated to retool their commercial port for industrial-scale offshore wind. Why? They studied both the direct and indirect increase in job creation and economic activity and the benefits were clear: increased revenues, investment, visitors, income diversity, and energy security.

Elizabeth Henry, executive director of the Environmental League of Massachusetts, framed the potential of offshore wind by saying, “Think about what even just a fraction of that could do for communities that have been persistently left behind—it’s really exciting.” All of this potential is happening now and, indeed, it’s thrilling.

The Missing Question

However, one missing question in New England’s energy debate is this: What will happen if we don’t fully invest in renewable energy like offshore wind, build local wind industry, or train our workforce for new jobs? This is an inconvenient question, particularly in a time of uncertainty, because it forces us to think hard about what industries are relevant for the future.

On the one hand, we believe that offshore wind industry will continue to expand throughout New England and the U.S. since millions of dollars have already been invested in lease areas and early development. On the other hand, we are scared that not enough people are talking about it and we’ll miss a chance to pioneer clean energy that strengthens livelihoods and communities!

So, in light of Covid-19 and the numerous job losses linked with the pandemic, let’s imagine for a moment, the future of offshore wind if New England politicians, manufacturers, and businesses galvanized support.

Thousands of jobs could be created, regional supply chains and manufacturers could protect workers from global market disruption, and we could recover financially much sooner. We deserve a more stable local economy, employment, and a cleaner environment. Offshore wind is a solution that is primed as “energy” for New England—in every sense of the term.

Author Information

Ramon Rosquete is a senior project manager at CREADIS Inc., a Danish-American engineering firm with more than 20 years supporting the wind industry. He specializes in the development of onshore and offshore wind turbine and energy projects, industrial & manufacturing optimization, and clean tech project management.

Noah Sabich is a partner and senior director at Cimbria Consulting, and a managing director and founding member of Cimbria Capital. He is a specialist in conscious corporate leadership, business management, and value creation strategies for the water, agriculture, and renewable energy sectors.