Over the last year, the United Kingdom has gained a lot of media attention for its offshore wind farms. Being one of the biggest and best sites in the world, it makes sense. 

However, in the fight to combat the world’s impending energy crisis, other countries can’t be ignored, including:

• China

• Netherlands

• Germany

• Denmark

The United States is no exception. Especially because of its “big dreams” going forward.

Just last year, the entire country only had one operational farm, which was established in Rhode Island in 2016. This year, that number is skyrocketing.

“Falling offshore wind prices, state-level commitments, and an unprecedented expansion into new leasing areas drove the U.S. offshore wind pipeline to grow 13.5% over the previous year, with 40,083 megawatts (MW) now in various stages of development.” - Energy
 

(Source: Clean Technica)

The offshore wind market in the United States

There’s a global trend forming. 

Numerous renewable projects are being launched as the energy sector finds itself in the spotlight to address rising price instability. 

Over the last few years, large pools of investment have been funnelled into innovative offshore solutions to produce reliable, green electricity and solve the world’s impending crisis (Source: IEA).

Although the US has found itself considerably behind similarly-sized regions like Europe and Asia, the country’s goal to “lead a clean energy revolution” proves the industry is determined not to get left behind. 

As such, the Departments of Energy, Interior and Commerce U.S. have pledged to expand offshore wind capacity to 30 gigawatts by the end of the decade. It’s mind-blowing, isn’t it? If they were to achieve this output, it would power almost 22 million homes.

However, it won’t be easy. 

Top United States offshore wind projects

There’s a lot of progress to be made in the next eight years, where just 18,836 megawatts were produced by offshore wind farms in 2021 (Source: Energy.gov). 

Today, there are two innovative offshore projects in operation, tens underway, and hundreds of others “in the works.”

1. Deepwater wind

Frequently accredited to be the reason the industry is growing so much today, Deepwater Wind was revolutionary. Led by “a veteran management team with extensive experience in developing renewable energy”, its success has encouraged other businesses to enter the sector.

2. Vineyard Wind 1

Located 15 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, this commercial-scale farm has proven the scalability of offshore wind in the US market. It’s expected to have 62 turbines upon its completion, each capable of producing 13 megawatts of electricity (Source: Vineyard Wind).

3. Coastal offshore wind

By 2026, this project will be delivering clean, renewable energy to the grid at an unprecedented scale. With the aim to avoid “millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions” annually, America’s green goals are within arms reach (Source: Dominion Energy). 

4. Revolution Wind

Featured in our “Top 5 Offshore Renewable Energy Projects” of 2022, Revolution Wind can’t be ignored. Its goal to provide 100% of the energy demands of both Connecticut and Rhode Island would be a record-breaking achievement.

5. Atlantic Shores

In June 2021, Atlantic Shores was awarded an extensive contract to deliver 1,510 megawatts of offshore wind energy to New Jersey. With a plan to begin construction in 2024, this site has pledged to train and hire local workers.

The offshore wind job market in the United States

Today, 120,000 Americans already work in the wind industry (Source: Clean Power). 

With a forecasted additional 80,000 jobs to be added to the industry over the next few years, qualified talent could soon find themselves:

1. Travelling to the coast.

2. Hopping aboard vessels.

3. Tackling new experiences.

This also gives individuals in local communities an intriguing opportunity to scale their careers and land themselves a rewarding and engaging job role.

Our forecast for the United States offshore wind industry 

For the US to achieve its “Green Deal” goals, there’s some work to be done. 

Until 2030, projects that have been slowly cropping up are going to start rapidly launching into action, requiring mass recruitment efforts.

Although talent from vertical industries might find themselves lured in by the promise of strong job satisfaction, there’ll soon be a growing shortage of talent able to fill specialist roles.

As such, energy businesses should act fast.

To secure a consistent stream of employees, start reaching out to industry recruiters (like Select Offshore) and benefit from our extensive international reach.

Find Jobs through Select Offshore

Select Offshore specialises in renewable energy recruitment, delivering maritime professionals who are reliable, communicative, and enthusiastic.

We adhere to tricky deadlines to secure project success through:

• Executive Search

• Contract Staffing

• RPO Solutions

Our team strongly believes in celebrating each of the individuals we work with, dedicating time to find them desirable offshore placements.

Could that benefit you? Contact us now