The Biden administration announced Monday it is launching a major expansion of offshore wind energy as part of an effort to cut carbon emissions and power more than 10 million homes nationwide by 2030.
The initiative will designate an area along the New York and New Jersey coasts as a priority zone and set a target of generating 30 gigawatts of energy nationwide from offshore wind farms this decade, the White House said in a statement. Officials said offshore wind development would create around 77,000 jobs and cut roughly 78 million metric tons of carbon emissions.
We’ve partnered with @CommerceGov, @Interior & @WhiteHouse to set a goal of deploying 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030. What could this do for Americans?
➡️Power 10M+ homes
➡️Support 77,000 jobs
➡️Cut 78M metric tons of carbon dioxide emissionsMore here: https://t.co/QkVcN5gF3M pic.twitter.com/gjmTu70b1J
— U.S. Department of Energy (@ENERGY) March 29, 2021
“This commitment to a new, untapped industry will create pathways to the middle class for people from all backgrounds and communities,” said Biden’s national climate advisor Gina McCarthy.
“This offshore wind goal is proof of our commitment to using American ingenuity and might to invest in our nation, advance our own energy security, and combat the climate crisis,” added Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.
Offshore wind production in the U.S. remains underdeveloped compared to Europe, with no large commercial-scale projects currently in operation, according to Axios. Biden previously pledged to double offshore wind production as part of his environmental agenda to invest in renewable energy and address climate change. (RELATED: Climate Activists Launch $10 Million Ad Campaign Pressuring Democrats To Spend Trillions On Climate Change)
To help meet its target, the administration announced it would offer $3 billion in federal loan guarantees for projects along the Atlantic coast and revamp port infrastructure to support offshore wind development.
The Interior Department’s ocean energy bureau announced Monday it was moving forward with an environmental review for the proposed Ocean Wind project along the Atlantic coast, which officials said could produce around 1,100 megawatts a year and power more than 500,000 homes.
The Interior Department also announced earlier in March its approval for the Vineyard Wind project in Massachusetts, which would be the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the U.S. and potentially power more than 400,000 homes.