The first offshore turbines arrived off the coast of New England last year in the form of a $300m utility-scale scheme called Block Island. Now, new projects are starting to follow suit and the U.S. offshore wind industry is starting to gather pace.
There is every reason to believe that the United States will follow the same course as Europe and embrace offshore wind as part of a wider drive to decarbonize electricity generation.
The US Offshore Wind 2017 conference will take place in New York this May and serve as a guide for what developers will need to run a winning project, including sessions led by the industries main players.
For example, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has enacted a law that requires its utilities to buy 1.6 GW of their energy from offshore sources by 2027.
Now key stakeholders (governments, developers, banks, private financiers) are trying to decide how much and when to invest, the best partners to pick for a project’s specific requirements, and which suppliers are needed to deliver these projects on time and within budget.
Key barriers to entry include how the energy policy under the Trump administration will evolve in the next four years, the existing rules in individual states and how they may develop, the relative competitiveness of offshore against fossil, nuclear and alternative forms of renewables, and what development we should expect on the engineering and technology side of things.
The leading players in the North American offshore wind sector will be gathering in New York, this May to chart a course for a sector that is fast becoming part of the U.S.’ future energy mix.
The US Offshore Wind 2017 conference and exhibition, which will be held in the Long Island Hyatt Regency on May 8 and 9, aims to pool the industry’s experience and expertise to enable boards to make informed choices when drawing up their business strategies.
The speakers will include senior executives from many of the European and U.S. companies that have created the modern offshore industry, such as DONG Energy, which has built more offshore wind farms than any other developer; giants such as E.ON and Iberdrola; integrated energy companies such as Statoil; and U.S. developers, such as US Wind, Vineyard Wind, and LEEDCo.
Paul M Rich, the director of project development for US Wind, explains: “The second annual U.S. Offshore Wind Conference brings together the top leadership of the offshore wind industry in a unique format, and with an exciting agenda, which hits the sweet spot of the challenges facing the sector: permitting, market development, reducing cost of energy, and financing projects in the U.S.”
“Come meet the champions of the offshore wind industry, roll up your sleeves and engage in an action- packed event,” Rich added.
The big questions that our proprietary research has uncovered are:
- How big will the market become, and how quickly will it happen?
- Where are the best places to site a project with an eye on the existing infrastructure and supply base, not to mention the political and regulatory environment (focus on New York State, Massachusetts, and California)?
- What are the ways to overcome the many regulatory hurdles a developer faces, including the best way to obtain permits and grid connections?
- What is the best way to minimize costs and maximize margins and how was lower LCOE accomplished in Europe?
- How to build a wind farm in the U.S.; everything from setting up a logistics hub and designing foundations to choosing the right turbine and navigating the Jones Act.
- What will operations and maintenance strategies look like for future developments in the Atlantic, Gulf, Pacific, Great Lakes, and Hawaii?
- What lessons can be learned from European wind companies, and how can this knowledge be transferred to the U.S.?
This article comes from Wind Energy Update. For more event information, please visit US Offshore Wind 2017 here.
Filed Under: News, Offshore wind, Projects
