US Offshore Wind Industry Gains Momentum

Federal support for offshore wind projects is helping the industry grow, with nine projects approved so far this year.

1 minute read

August 20, 2024, 5:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Construction site of offshore wind farm near the Dutch coast.

Kruwt / Adobe Stock

In a piece for Sierra magazine, Sarah Giltz and Nancy Pyne highlight the growth of the offshore wind industry in the United States. “Today there are enough offshore wind projects moving forward to power nearly 5 million homes,” Giltz and Pyne write. 

According to the authors, a new plan from the Department of the Interior “increases transparency and predictability and creates greater regulatory certainty for offshore wind,” while other federal agencies are also working to develop policy recommendations and modernize renewable energy infrastructure. “By 2030, offshore wind is expected to create 77,000 family-sustaining jobs, support thousands of small businesses, and inject hundreds of millions of dollars in local communities.”

The authors emphasize the need for project labor agreements to ensure that the industry provides stable, high-quality jobs. “It’s clear that partnerships are key as developers, unions, conservation organizations and communities work to build this new industry together. Collaboration will be essential to build on the current momentum and ensure the offshore wind industry creates good jobs and provides real benefits to local communities.”

Saturday, August 17, 2024 in Sierra

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

April 18 - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

April 18 - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

April 18 - Smart Cities Dive