Offshore Wind Zone Proposed for the East Coast

As part of the Biden administration's efforts to increase the use of renewable energy sources, a new proposal "would designate an area between Long Island and New Jersey as a priority offshore wind zone and sets a goal of installing 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind turbines in coastal waters nationwide by 2030, generating enough clean electricity to power 10 million homes." 

Lisa Friedman and Brad Plumer report that the administration wants to "accelerate permitting for proposed wind projects off the Atlantic coast, offer $3 billion in federal loan guarantees for offshore wind projects and upgrade the nation’s ports to support wind construction" in order to promote the industry. Officials say the offshore wind industry could "directly create 44,000 new jobs, such as building and installing turbines, and indirectly create another 33,000." 

In February, "the Biden administration took a key step in approving the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind farm, off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts." The project includes "84 large turbines with 800 megawatts of electric generating capacity" and "is slated to come online by 2023." Twelve other proposed offshore wind projects on the East Coast are awaiting approval.