AWEA Offshore Wind Conference: Offshore wind power has arrived
With the nation’s first-ever offshore wind farm now installed off the coast of Rhode Island, it’s never been a more exciting time to attend AWEA’s Offshore Wind Conference & Exhibition.
Hear from all of the industry’s movers and shakers this October 25 – 26 in Warwick, Rhode Island to learn about where the U.S. offshore wind industry is headed and how high its potential reaches. The milestone of the country’s first offshore wind project is already capturing the nation’s imagination and attention, with top investors, developers, supply chain companies and other stakeholders arriving to discuss what’s next, like floating wind technology. Headliners include:
- Rhode Island Governor Gina M. Raimondo
- S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island
- S Representative David N. Cicilline (RI-01)
- Jeff Grybowski, CEO, Deepwater Wind
- Carolyn Heeps, PhD, Director of Development Strategy, RES
- John Rhodes, President, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
U.S. offshore wind has enormous potential to deliver clean, reliable electricity. The theoretical maximum is equal to roughly four times the generating capacity of the current U.S. grid. And building on America’s legacy of offshore energy development in the oil and gas industry can help us achieve the promise of domestic offshore wind energy development while smoothing the transition to a cleaner energy economy.
There are currently 13 American offshore wind projects in various stages of development, spanning 10 states, representing almost 6,000 megawatts of capacity off the East, West and Great Lakes coasts. These projects will help us realize offshore wind energy’s U.S. potential, create thousands of manufacturing jobs, and help revitalize America’s port cities.
We have put together what we think is a remarkable and expert-filled program for conference attendees. We’ll hear from officials from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on how best to navigate through the regulatory process; elected officials working hard to drive demand for offshore wind development in their states; floating wind experts trying to get this innovative new technology to our shores; and the country’s leading developers on what’s next for U.S. offshore wind. We are thrilled to bring these critical conversations to all attendees.
Also special this year is a post-conference boat tour to Block Island Wind Farm on Thursday, October 27. Those onboard will not only be able to tour America’s first offshore wind farm, but will also hear directly from the companies that made this project happen – Deepwater Wind and GE Renewable Energy. We are very much looking forward to this unforgettable cruise.
We hope to see you next week!
