Offshore Wind Energy 
We hope you are enjoying the cool fall season! In this edition of the Seabreeze, we continue to explore the latest policy changes and highlight the points of meaningful progress despite the setbacks.
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SPOTLIGHT: Our work at the National Wildlife Federation centers around the responsible development of offshore wind energy. But what does responsible offshore wind mean for wildlife and coastal communities?
We are thrilled to release a short film which answers this question from coast to coast, visiting the people and places that will help achieve the clean energy goals needed for a healthy climate , protecting wildlife and engaging communities every step of the way.
FEDERAL UPDATES:
At the end of October, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed the CDC to study any potential health impacts of offshore wind. A 2011 medical study found no direct impact to human health from wind turbines, while integrating energy generated by turbines does reduce carbon emissions, improving air quality.
STATE AND REGIONAL UPDATES:
NORTHEAST (CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI)
Starting with the good news! In Massachusetts, Vineyard Wind is delivering power to residents from more than 30 turbines, despite attacks and delays from the federal government.
In less good news, Beacon Wind, a 128,000 acre project off of Cape Cod and Long Island, slated to send power to New York, was indefinitely halted by developer JERA Nex BP. The company is retaining the lease in hopes of developing in the future. Additionally, Maersk construction on a service vessel for Empire Wind was terminated. The project included a $475 million contract with Seatrium for the vessel to service, which is 98.9% complete.
CBS Evening News recently aired a segment highlighting the negative economic and personal impact to fishermen and community members in New Bedford, MA and other New England coastal communities created by freezes, delays, and cancellations of offshore wind projects.
MID-ATLANTIC (DE, MD, NC, VA)
In Maryland, advocates and elected officials, including Senator Van Hollen and Delegate Charkoudian, hosted a Yes to Wind event to speak about how planned projects in Maryland will lower our electricity prices and employ thousands of Marylanders. The coalition gathered ranged from organized labor, to environmental activists, to ratepayer advocates.
On October 17, U.S. Wind sought a preliminary injunction to prevent the Trump Administration from reversing its project, citing concerns about the impact to business following a federal judge denying efforts to pause Ocean City, Maryland’s lawsuit over offshore wind power because of the ongoing government shutdown.
Excitingly, in Virginia, Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project is expected to be online in six months, beginning to provide power to the grid as soon as March 2026. Dominion had installed 176 turbine foundations as of October thanks to good weather and an unusually quiet hurricane season. On September 17, the Portsmouth Marine Terminal (which services CVOW) received the United State’s first Jones Act compliant turbine installation vessel, Charybdis. Charybdis was built in Brownsville, Texas.
GULF OF MEXICO (LA, TX)
Gulf states are already using well-established energy production knowledge, workforce, and infrastructure to support responsible offshore wind energy in the United States. Ongoing federal attacks on the offshore wind industry are beginning to have economic consequences to the workers and communities involved in those efforts. In Louisiana, State Representative Joseph Orgeron, a former owner of an offshore vessel business, called President Trump’s support of the US maritime industry while simultaneously attacking the offshore wind industry “counterproductive,” pointing out that the offshore wind industry was behind many ship orders – orders that have now come to a halt.
NWF’s Stacy Ortego was featured this month on the Conserving Earth podcast alongside representatives from the National Audubon Society and Southeastern Wind Coalition. The podcast episode took a deeper dive into wind energy in Louisiana. Take a listen here!
PACIFIC (CA, HI, OR, WA)
In California, offshore wind supporters attended the California Energy Commission meeting addressing funding for offshore wind port infrastructure. The Commission unanimously voted at the meeting to continue port development with plans to build an offshore wind terminal on the Californian coast moving forward despite policy roadblocks and federal funding cuts.
California has recognized the importance of incorporating responsibly planned and developed offshore wind energy into the power grid and continues to make progress. As part of those efforts, the state is forming a new energy market, helping offshore wind become a viable energy option.
Up the coast in Oregon, the Offshore Wind Energy Roadmap Roundtable members convened in Winchester Bay, near Reedsport Oregon where they provided feedback on the Draft Offshore Wind Energy Roadmap. Another draft will be shared after Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development staff have integrated all the new input.
Resource Adequacy Benefits of Offshore Wind: Executive Findings
Thursday, November 6 from 2 –3 pm ET | Register
This new study finds that offshore wind could play a pivotal role in maintaining grid reliability as electricity demand surges across the U.S., particularly in winter months. Join CRA for a discussion where Dr. Stover will present his findings on the reliability benefits of offshore wind. The webinar will explore how offshore wind performs during extreme weather events, complements natural gas and other generation resources, and contributes critical output during periods of emerging grid stress that are hard to solve with existing technologies alone.
Turn Forward Webinar: Keeping the Lights On: Offshore Wind and Grid Reliability
Thursday, November 6th at 4 pm CT | Register
A new independent study by Charles River Associates finds that offshore wind could play a pivotal role in keeping the U.S. grid reliable as demand surges nationwide. Join Turn Forward and CRA for a briefing on the research behind this conclusion and what it means for policymakers and energy leaders. The webinar will feature CRA’s Oliver Stover explaining how offshore wind performs in peak winter conditions, complements natural gas generation, and helps safeguard affordable, reliable power for American consumers.
Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN):
Wednesday, November 12 from 11 – 12:15 CET | Register Recognising the leading role the UK plays in the continent’s offshore energy transition, OCEaN has selected the United Kingdom (UK) for the fourth webinar in RGI and OCEaN’s Country Profile Webinar Series. This webinar will explore the UK’s offshore wind targets and how their policy frameworks, planning strategies, and consenting approaches aim to support offshore renewable energy deployment while safeguarding marine ecosystems. We’ll be joined by expert speakers from the wind industry, civil society, and the Crown Estate as they share lessons from the UK’s experience planning and consenting offshore wind projects.
NYSERDA’s Learning from the Experts Series: Repurposing Offshore Expertise – Lessons Learned from Oil
Wednesday, November 19 from 1 – 2 pm ET | Register
In this webinar, Jim Bennett and Ian Voparil will draw from their decades of experience with BOEM and Shell, respectively, to discuss how America’s offshore expertise gained from oil development is informing the responsible and effective development of offshore wind energy.