The State of New York has joined the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA), making the announcement during New York Climate Week.
GOWA is a network of governments, international organizations and private sector companies committed to expanding offshore wind capacity globally and driving the transition to a clean energy future.
The multi-stakeholder alliance aims to speed up the global deployment of offshore wind power.
It was launched at COP27 by Denmark, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and now includes 20 governments among its members.
The addition of the State of New York further strengthens the global collaboration between regional and national governments and “creates a more unified and coordinated approach to offshore wind development across the globe”.
Doreen Harris, President and CEO, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), said: “New York is honoured to join the Global Offshore Wind Alliance as we work with other government partners to grow and build-out the offshore wind industry, which is a critical component of the renewable energy infrastructure in New York and worldwide.
“This collaboration, which spans from sharing lessons and best practices to helping scale up offshore wind projects, will help further advance and sustain this powerhouse industry as we harness its full potential to secure a clean energy future.”
Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA, said: “Through GOWA, we work closely with governments, industry, and investors to accelerate the deployment of offshore wind projects worldwide.
“Offshore wind offers a pathway to decarbonize our power systems, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth. Our World Energy Transitions Outlook projects that offshore wind capacity must increase sevenfold by 2030 and more than thirtyfold by 2050 to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
“We need policies that incentivise investment, streamlined permitting processes, and innovative financing solutions.”
Ben Backwell, CEO of GWEC said: “The US offshore wind industry is a key part of the energy transition’s acceleration this decade, and we look forward to supporting the State of New York’s efforts in making their offshore wind sector an example for the rest of the world to follow.
“GWEC’s research suggests the world could deliver GOWA’s target of 380GW of offshore wind by 2030, but only with the right frameworks in place.
“The collaborative work of the Alliance is fundamental to establishing and expanding this framework around the world and ensuring offshore wind delivers on its potential as a key tool of the energy transition.”