Against the backdrop of new energy pressure from Russia, U.S. and European officials and company executives meeting in late April at an Atlantic City, NJ business conference on offshore wind energy touted its potential to propel transition from fossil fuel dependence. But they acknowledged still nagging project and market uncertainties and need for government support to meet lofty deployment targets for this decade and beyond.
“Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine has shown us that the world cannot depend on petro-dictators, on autocrats for our energy needs,” U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told the International Offshore Wind Partnering Forum conference April 27, sponsored by the Business Network for Offshore Wind. “We have a long way to go to match the 4,500 turbines dotting the coastline of Europe, but we’ll get there. We are on a war footing and you are the army we need.”