‘As a longtime leader on development of offshore wind energy, first in the Delaware Governor’s office and now at the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind (SIOW), I know the importance of ocean coordination.
The SIOW, housed at the University of Delaware’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, is an independent catalyst for offshore wind, creating multi-sector collaboration and innovation to advance offshore wind. Additionally, the initiative is providing new data to policymakers about the feasibility and urgency of tapping offshore wind.
Coordinated ocean planning is vitally needed to advance this important sector. While wind energy produced 3.5 percent of the nation’s electricity in 2012, not a single megawatt came from an offshore turbine. However, there are currently more than a dozen offshore wind projects at various stages of development, including the Block Island Wind Farm, which now has steel in the water!
If we are going to realize the full benefits of these projects and grow this sector of renewable energy, we must continue to support regional ocean coordination initiatives designed to address ocean uses and reduce conflict, allowing for innovative, new ocean uses like offshore wind.’