The US offshore wind sector could deliver up to 83,000 jobs and $25bn in annual economic output by 2030, according to a new report by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).
The report – ‘US Offshore Wind Power Economic Impact Assessment’ – assessed the impact of 30GW of projects expected to be developed off the east coast of the US by 2030.
AWEA said the sector will support up to 45,000 jobs by 2025 and 83,000 jobs by 2030, depending on the level of offshore wind build and supply chain growth in the country.
Development, construction, and operation of offshore wind projects in the US will also deliver annual economic output totalling as much as $14bn in 2025 and $25bn in 2030.
The report noted that the onshore wind industry grew from supporting 100 domestic manufacturing facilities and 50,000 jobs in 2007 to more than 500 facilities and 114,000 jobs today.
Onshore wind reached more than 100GW of operating capacity last year, a four-fold increase from 2008, it added.
“Offshore wind is set for a similarly rapid expansion, creating new opportunities for port revitalisation and vessel construction,” the report said.
AWEA chief executive Tom Kiernan said: “Offshore wind is key to the future of clean energy development in the US and will add to a thriving wind power industry that already represents the largest source of renewable energy in the country.
“The offshore wind industry will create tens of thousands of jobs and provide billions of dollars to the economy, while delivering on its enormous untapped potential to power major population centres up and down the East Coast.
“State leaders are seeing the environmental and economic promise of offshore wind and are stepping in to provide the vision and policies to help this industry quickly achieve scale.
“Offshore wind, following on the rapid proliferation of land-based wind over the past decade, is positioned to achieve significant growth and deliver jobs and economic output along the East Coast and throughout the rest of the country.”