'Misinformation about offshore wind is a direct attack against American workers'

Last month I stood on stage at the largest offshore wind conference in the Americas, the International Partnering Forum, and declared that American offshore wind is undergoing a "sea change."

A transformation so profound signifies a new era for our industry. This isn't mere rhetoric. We've witnessed this change with the installation of turbines at Vineyard Wind and South Fork Wind, which are producing clean energy to power American homes and businesses. The momentum is undeniable.

However, amidst this progress, a disquieting trend persists: misinformation campaigns aiming to undermine public support for offshore wind and give justification to oppose the industry's development. At the end of the day, these are attacks directly against the American worker and the economic growth, job creation, and cleaner future offshore wind is providing.

The naysayers fail to acknowledge the wind in our sails, the American workers powering this industry. From steel sourced in Kentucky to export cables manufactured in South Carolina, the offshore wind supply chain spans the nation and encompasses a massive variety of businesses. Shipyards in Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Texas hum with activity, building the vessels that will carry us towards a greener tomorrow. In New Jersey, Paulsboro and Salem County have seen millions in new investment and quality jobs for their citizens. For anyone looking, it’s clear to see that offshore wind is working, and so is America.

And this is just the beginning; ECO is already building the nation's second SOV, and their Bollinger shipyards are gearing up to construct modern barges and tugs to support future offshore wind installations. Across the nation, $1.6bn in new and retrofitted vessel orders are filling shipyards with work from Texas to Wisconsin and Massachusetts.

The overarching benefits of offshore wind are already being seen, driving over $25bn in new investment, rebuilding communities, creating good-paying jobs across the country, strengthening the reliability of the grid, and delivering clean, American-made energy to our homes. This is the story that deserves to be told.

Offshore wind is a force to be reckoned with, regardless of political tides. State demand for this clean energy source continues to rise as the need for a sustainable future becomes ever clearer. By year's end, nearly 150 turbines will be spinning off the East Coast, each requiring skilled technicians to maintain them for decades to come, and hundreds more are under construction. We've moved beyond the question of "if" to the question of "how fast."

This is my call to action: we, as an industry, must dedicate energy to communicating the immense value and positive impact of offshore wind. We will face challenges, particularly from those resistant to an energy transition. It's time to share our stories with everyday Americans about everyday Americans: our friends, families, and neighbors that make up this industry, the small businesses and the hard-working people who are building a brighter future.

Offshore wind is no longer a dream; it's a reality with a powerful future. Let's work together to ensure its sails continue to fill with the winds of progress.