OPINION:
Offshore wind in the United States is seemingly a Catch-22. People tend to have ideas that are either radically for or radically against this maturing technology. Some on the left tend to think of renewable energy, like offshore wind, as a panacea for climate change, while some on the right see most renewable energy as cost-intensive eyesores. The reality is that renewable energy will not solve all our environmental problems, and it is just as wondrous an experience to gaze upon as any coal or natural gas power plant in operation. What can be said for offshore wind is that it isn’t going away and the energy security and robust job market that follow this energy source are here to stay and grow.
According to 2022 data from the Energy Information Administration, despite being a net petroleum exporter, the U.S. economy continues to rely on energy imported from foreign sources. This reliance on foreign energy imports is a gap in our national security picture that could be filled with sources of renewable energy like offshore wind, bringing energy production home. As EVs grow in popularity, it’s even more critical to have sources of energy that are domestic and less susceptible to problems originating abroad.
It’s of course important that we do not eliminate all of our sources of energy from the equation. Offshore wind generation, for example, is dependent on wind strength at sea. We still will need other forms of energy generation, but offshore wind, as part of a more diverse energy mix, will make us more secure helping to safeguard the U.S. against everything from cyberattacks to physical attacks.
This is all not to mention the expanding job market across offshore wind. The job market that the industry is creating would make naysayers blush, with most facilities made to support offshore wind in deep red states, such as Nexans’ subsea cable manufacturing plant in Charleston, South Carolina and the maritime industry also benefiting, with shipbuilders in Louisiana, Florida, and Texas all hopping on board. The kicker is that these companies in red states are supporting wind farms in New York, Rhode Island, and New Jersey all deep-blue strongholds.
Offshore wind isn’t just another left-vs.-right issue. It’s something that could unite the country and allow us to become global leaders in an ever-growing industry. We are leaders in so many other fields, such as technology, healthcare, and artificial intelligence. We need to become leaders in offshore wind.
• Christopher Minardi is director of communications, G&T Global and North America at Nexans.
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