The offshore renewable energy sector is revitalising American industries and creating new jobs, according to a new report from the Oceantic Network.
Offshore Energy at Work features data tracked by the nonprofit is working to advance the offshore renewable energy industry and its US supply chain.
It found that a US$25bn wave of supply chain investments that has fuelled significant growth in shipbuilding and steel production.
There also has been US$1.8bn in vessel orders across 21 US shipyards.
The report found that the industry is helping to advance a skilled workforce in the US, enabling shipyards to build bigger and more globally competitive vessels, revitalising ports with advanced industrial capabilities, and sparking new opportunities across the country in manufacturing and steel production.
To inform the publication, Oceantic traveled across the country in 2024, collecting photos and videos that provide a firsthand look at how states and companies are bringing American ingenuity and resilience to this burgeoning, domestic offshore wind industry, the organisation said.
The stories collected focus on the people delivering this energy revolution, such as welders, engineers, and shipbuilders – all part of the nearly 2,000 supplier contracts that today span a national supply chain, according to the report.
Their hard work, combined with critical private-sector investments, is yielding remarkable local economic transformations and strengthening the nation’s energy security, it found.
Liz Burdock, chief executive of Oceantic Network, said: “The American offshore wind energy industry is creating thousands of jobs across a national supply chain, driving billions in supply chain investments, and delivering reliable, homegrown energy to meet our country’s growing power needs while ensuring energy security for decades.
“This report tells a story of success, momentum, American ingenuity, and grit. Offshore wind energy is creating skilled jobs, revitalizing once-forgotten economies, and offering new opportunities for personal growth and economic prosperity, proving that when offshore wind is working, so is America.”