Contacts:
Joe Martens, Director, New York Offshore Wind Alliance, (518) 300-0945, jmartens@aceny.org
Evan Vaughan, Deputy Director, MAREC Action, (202) 431-4640, evaughan@marec.us
Francis Pullaro, Executive Director, RENEW Northeast, (646) 734-8768, fpullaro@renew-ne.org
Bloomberg Energy Briefing — Diverse Coalition Supports Biden Offshore Wind Expansion Plans: “A broad coalition of national nonprofits, labor unions, developers, and environmental justice organizations released a “unity statement” …praising the administration’s recent announcement to significantly expand offshore wind leasing and investment.”
WASHINGTON—Last week, a broad coalition of business, community, environmental, and labor groups issued the following statement in response to the Biden Administration’s announcement of new leasing, funding, and development goals to accelerate and deploy offshore wind energy and jobs.
“As renewable energy developers, workers of all stripes, front-line community members, and environmental advocates, we applaud President Biden’s early, bold commitments to advance 30gigawatts (GW) of responsible offshore wind development by 2030. The Administration-wide approach to jump start American offshore wind power—including tangible next steps on leasing, permitting, port investments, loan guarantees, research funding, and more—offers a solid game plan for confronting the climate crisis and ensuring we Build Back Better.
“We face unprecedented and intersecting environmental, public health, and economic crises that exacerbate racial and social injustices—presenting an existential threat to our communities, our nation, and our world. Offshore wind is uniquely positioned to help address these challenges. The Administration’s sweeping, whole-government approach outlined this week signals the urgency, seriousness, and determination that is needed to face these threats head on.
“We are united in our belief that done right, offshore wind power will create thousands of quality, family-sustaining jobs in manufacturing, construction, operations, and maintenance, and in the development of port facilities and associated infrastructure. We agree that offshore wind power can and must be developed in a manner that protects coastal and marine ecosystems and advances social and racial equity and environmental justice.
“Together, we stand ready to work with the Biden Administration to help fulfill today’s offshore wind commitments with a comprehensive, responsible approach to scaling up this critical new energy source for America.”
Signed By:
Acadia Center, Deborah Donovan Aker Offshore Wind, Jonah Margulis
Alliance for Affordable Energy, Jessica Hendricks
All Our Energy, George Povall
Alliance for Clean Energy New York, Anne Reynolds Anbaric, Janice Fuller
Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, Robert A. DiGiovanni, Jr. Atlantic Offshore Terminals LLC, Boone Davis
Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, Jennifer Daniels Avangrid Renewables, Bill White
BlueGreen Alliance, Jason Walsh Brightline Defense, Eddie Ahn
Bristol Community College, Jennifer Menard Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, LLP, J Kevin Healy
Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties, Matty Arachic Business Network for Offshore Wind, Liz Burdock
Capital Region Chamber, Mark Eagan
Center for Economic Growth, Katie Newcombe
Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Adrienne Esposito Climate Jobs NY, Jeff Vockrodt
Climate Reality Chautauqua Chapter, Lisa Mertz
Climate Reality Finger Lakes Greater Region NY Chapter, Thomas Hirasuna Climate Reality Peconic Region Chapter, Cate Rogers
Concerned Citizens of Montauk, Laura Tooman Connecticut Audubon Society, Patrick Comins Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, Lori Brown Conservation Law Foundation, Sean Mahoney Delaware Interfaith Power & Light, John Sykes Defenders of Wildlife, Jim Lyons
Drive Electric Long Island Coalition, Marjaneh Issapour E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs), Sandra Purohit EnBW, Damian Bednarz
Environmental Defense Fund, Elizabeth Gore Environmental League of MA, Elizabeth Turnbull Henry Equinor Wind US, Anders Hangeland
Foley Hoag LLP, Noah Shah
Green Energy Consumers Alliance, Kai Salem Grow Smart Rhode Island, Scott Millar
Gulf of Maine Sustainability Alliance, Dave Wilby
Gulf States Renewable Energy Industry Association, Stephen Wright Jersey Renews Coalition, Berenice Tompkins
League of Conservation Voters, Sara Chieffo Long Island Association, Kevin Law
Long Island Contractor’s Association (LICA), Marc Herbst Long Island Federation of Labor, Roger Clayman Magellan Wind, Jim Lanard
Mainstream Renewable Power, Paula Major Maryland League of Conservation Voters, Kim Coble Massachusetts AFL-CIO, Chrissy Lynch
Mayflower Wind, Michael Brown
Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition, Bruce Burcat Mothers Out Front, Susan Helms Daley
Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club, Guy Jacob National Audubon Society, Garry George National Grid, Badar Khan
National Wildlife Federation, Catherine Bowes
Natural Resources Defense Council, Nathanael Greene
New England for Offshore Wind, Susannah Hatch New Jersey Audubon, Drew Tompkins
New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, Ed Potosnak New Jersey Organizing Project, Amanda Devecka-Rinear NJ Work Environment Council, Debra Coyle McFadden New York League of Conservation Voters, Julie Tighe New York Offshore Wind Alliance, Joe Martens NY4WHALES, William Rossiter
Ocean Conservancy, Anne Merwin OCEANA, Diane Hoskins
Offshore Wind California, Adam Stern Orsted North America, Inc., Fred Zalcman OW Ocean Winds, Enrique Alvarez-Uria
Port of Albany, New York, Richard J. Hendrick ProsperityForRI.com, Greg Gerritt
Reel Therapy Charters, Capt. Paul Eidman
Regional Planning Association, Robert Freudenberg RENEW Northeast, Francis Pullaro
Renewable Energy and Sustainability Center (RESC) at Farmingdale State College, Professor Marjaneh Issapour
Renewable Energy Long Island, Gordian Raacke RWE, Dominik Schwegmann
Rise Light & Power, Clint Plummer
SAFE (Salem Alliance for the Environment), Patricia Gozemba Save the Sound, Charles J. Rothenberger
Second Nature, Tim Carter Seed Kit, Ana Mallozzi Sierra Club, Bill Corcoran
Sisters of St. Joseph, Sister Karen Burke, CSJ, EdD South Shore Audubon Society, Brien Weiner Southeastern Wind Coalition, Katharine Kollins Southern Environmental Law Center, David Carr
Special Initiative on Offshore Wind, Univ. of Delaware, Kris Ohleth Students for Climate Action, Harrison Bench
Suffolk CLimate Reality Chapter, Melissa Griffiths The Alliance for Business Leadership, Jen Benson The Climate Actors, Tim Guinee
The Climate Reality Westchester Chapter, Janet Harckham
The Hudson Valley & Catskills Climate Reality Chapter, Tim Guinee The Nature Conservancy, Stu Gruskin
UMass Lowell, Mary Usovicz
Union of Concerned Scientists, John Rogers
Univeristy of Delaware, College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, Dean Estella Akweseh Atekwana US Wind, Jeffrey Grybowski
Vineyard Wind, Rachel Pachter
Virginia League of Conservation Voters, Michael Town WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Peggy Shepard Western New York Climate Reality Chapter, Lynn Saxton Windstar, Chris Niezrecki
Wildlife Conservation Society, John Calvelli WinWithWind, Jeremiah Mulligan
350 Cape Cod, Sheila Place 350 Mass, Carolyn Barthel
350 New Orleans, Andy Kowalczyk
“Last week the Biden Administration signaled its strong commitment for offshore wind energy and more than one hundred organizations representing a broad and diverse spectrum of developers, labor unions, frontline environmental justice groups, research organizations and environmental non- profits reacted in unison to the responsible development of offshore wind. This is a once in a generation opportunity to create a new American clean energy industry and now, with this signal from Washington, offshore wind can play a major role in addressing the climate crisis, rebuilding the economy and providing thousands of family-sustaining jobs.”
Joe Martens, Director of the NY Offshore Wind Alliance and former Commissioner of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
“America’s promising wind industry has long had the technological know-how to deliver significant amounts of emission-free power to consumers and businesses. With the bold targets the Biden Administration announced today, the industry now has the wind at its back. This broad coalition recognizes this much-needed dose of political will enables the US to usher in a new era of clean, affordable and sustainable energy that will help hold the line on climate change while creating nearly 80,000 well-paying jobs. This is exactly what we need, and not a moment too soon.”
Francis Pullaro, Executive Director of RENEW Northeast, a Connecticut-based nonprofit that unites clean energy companies and environmentalists in pursuit of expanding renewable energy in New England
“The Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition applauds the Biden Administration’s pairing of bold vision with concrete action to scale-up offshore wind. Between the new 30 gigawatt by 2030 goal, the long-anticipated New York Bight lease area designation and the start of an environmental impact assessment for the 1.1 gigawatt Ocean Wind project off New Jersey, we’re looking at a massive boost to job creation and investment in the Mid-Atlantic region. This is how you go big on infrastructure, economic stimulus and climate all at once.”
Bruce Burcat, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition and former Executive Director of the Delaware Public Service Commission from 1995 to 2010