National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium Announces Offshore Wind Supply Chain Roadmap Project

The National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium is pleased to announce a comprehensive U.S. offshore wind supply chain project. Launched today, the purpose of the Supply Chain Roadmap is to present the collective benefits of a domestic supply chain and facilitate the acceleration of the offshore wind industry in the United States. The project is a partnership between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Business Network for Offshore Wind, the State of Maryland, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

“Building a domestic offshore wind supply chain is a key step in achieving the cost reductions, economic development, and sustainable industry needed to meet DOE’s goal of 30 GW by 2030,” said Matt Shields, Senior Offshore Wind Analyst at NREL. “This project will help the United States leverage existing manufacturing and workforce capabilities to grow a network of domestic suppliers.”

NREL, the Business Network for Offshore Wind (the Network), and DNV-GL are collaborating on the project. The Network’s efforts will include gathering data through its Supply Chain Connect tool, a database used by developers to search for suppliers and by vendors to introduce themselves to industry. The Network, NREL, and DNV-GL will then evaluate this updated database to prepare a detailed analysis of resources and gaps of current suppliers and characterize the benefits of a domestic supply chain that leverages these existing strengths. Results of the $700,000 effort will be shared broadly and will set an important baseline for determining and planning for U.S. supply chain needs. 

“Maryland is excited to provide funding for this important research project which will help our state achieve its goal of establishing a robust regional offshore wind supply chain,” said Mary Beth Tung, Ph.D., Esq., Director of the Maryland Energy Administration. “The project will help states like Maryland identify barriers to market entry and better direct future state investments in support of this rapidly growing industry and aligns closely with our partnership to foster regional cooperation.” 

Governor Hogan recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina under the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Regional Transformative Partnership for Offshore Wind Energy Resources (SMART-POWER).

“This study comes at a critical time in U.S. market development. Identifying key resources and gaps is paramount to growing a local offshore wind supply chain as well as meeting state and federal offshore wind targets and ensuring U.S. economic benefits from offshore wind development,” said Liz Burdock, President & CEO of the Business Network for Offshore Wind.

“NYSERDA is pleased to support this important data collection effort, which will help build the connections needed for a strong supply chain in support of the offshore wind industry in New York and throughout the U.S.,” said Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO of NYSERDA. “Building a domestic supply chain will help ensure that our collective advancement of offshore wind results in thousands of good-paying jobs and billions of dollars in private investment throughout this rapidly expanding industry.”

“Offshore wind will be an important element of meeting President Biden’s goal to achieve a 100% clean energy economy with net-zero emissions by 2050,” said Kelly Speakes-Backman, DOE’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “This project will help us develop a robust domestic offshore wind supply chain that will support tens of thousands of good-paying jobs and spur significant national and regional economic growth.”

Initial results from the gaps study will be available in Fall 2021 and the full report will be released by the end of 2022. This comprehensive study is a combination of two projects with $400,000 in funding from the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium and $300,000 from Maryland. 

The National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium, established in 2018, is a not-for-profit public-private partnership focused on advancing offshore wind technology in the United States through high impact research projects and cost-effective and responsible development to maximize economic benefits. Funding for the Consortium comes from the U.S. Department of Energy and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), with each providing $20.5 million, as well as contributions from the Commonwealths of Virginia and Massachusetts and the States of Maryland and Maine, bringing total investment to approximately $47 million. For more information, please visit nationaloffshorewind.org.

The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) advises the governor and general assembly on all energy matters, promoting affordable, reliable and cleaner energy. MEA develops and administers programs and policy to support and expand all sectors of the state’s economy while benefiting all Marylanders and implementing legislation. Please visit  Energy.Maryland.gov and follow them on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter for more information.