Nine east coast US states and four government departments have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen regional supply chain collaboration for the country’s nascent offshore wind sector.
The agreement creates a framework for regional partnerships focussed on offshore wind supply chain development.
All signatories – the states of Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island, and the departments of energy, interior, commerce and transportation – are asked to collaborate in addressing priorities such as port development, shipbuilding, and domestic steel production.
The nine states will develop sub-regional implementation plans to harness each other’s existing strengths, fill high-priority gaps efficiently, and advance economic development and environmental justice.
“State collaboration is the key to unleashing the full potential of a domestic supply chain,” said Liz Burdock, founder and CEO of the Business Network for Offshore Wind. “Up to now, states have done the heavy lifting to seed our emerging supply chain and the time is right to maximise the US market’s attractiveness by driving regional collaboration.”
Source: Wind Power Monthly