Offshore wind industry topic of discussion

U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Rep. John Carney (all D-Del.) recently attended a meeting hosted by Carper to discuss the future of the offshore wind industry in the U.S. with key stakeholders from state and local governments, as well as members of the private sector.

“Today’s meeting to discuss how we can help encourage the offshore wind industry in America was a productive one,” the legislators said. “We appreciate the participation of all the key stakeholders and recognize that, if we hope to have a vibrant domestic offshore wind industry in the near future, we must encourage effective public-private partnerships to leverage limited resources.

“Federal and state government can’t launch this industry alone, and neither can the private sector,” they said. “We have to work together on everything from permitting to financing to technology development in order to be successful.

“The challenges facing our domestic offshore wind industry right now are significant, particularly in the current economic climate; but if we can get this partnership right, the rewards will be significant as we produce safe, clean, renewable energy and good paying jobs right here in America.