Simply Blue has installed a US team as it targets a 30GW market opportunity for floating offshore wind by 2040 in the country.
Kevin Banister (pictured), chief development officer and president at Simply Blue USA, is leading the North America team at the floating wind project developer.
He previously led offshore wind development at Principle Power for almost 10 years.
“As Simply Blue assesses floating offshore wind markets around the globe, no opportunity ranks higher than the US.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the team we’ve assembled to help responsibly develop offshore wind on all of America’s coasts,” Banister said.
Other members of the team include Stephanie McClellan, chief of strategy and policy, North America, who founded the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind.
Alana Duerr is director, US projects.
He previously led DNV’s North American offshore wind advisory team.
Karolina Pietrzak has been hired as deputy chief development officer and has a decade of US and European offshore wind expertise.
Simply Blue CEO Sam Roch-Perks said: “Our US leadership team has, each in their own unique way, helped lay the foundation for US offshore wind.
“Their expertise and experience are just what’s needed to push the next frontier – floating wind off America’s coasts.
This team, combined with Simply Blue’s experience in floating wind projects in Ireland and the UK, will hasten the expansion of US offshore wind into new areas that have vast, untapped wind resources.”