Biden Administration to Host Floating Offshore Wind Summit

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Depts. of Energy, Interior, Commerce and Transportation are teaming up to hold the first ever Floating Offshore Wind Shot™ Summit on Feb. 22 and 23.

The virtual two-day event will bring together policymakers, experts, community leaders and innovators to discuss the Floating Offshore Wind Shot, an ambitious initiative to reduce the cost of floating offshore wind energy by at least 70% by 2035. 

Confirmed speakers include Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Jocelyn Brown-Saracino, offshore wind energy lead at the Department of Energy.

According to administration officials, floating offshore wind represents two-thirds of our nation’s offshore wind potential.

Further, they say, responsible development and deployment of this emerging technology presents a major opportunity to power millions of American homes with clean energy, create quality jobs and establish U.S. leadership in a growing sector.  

However, the administration has made clear that fully realizing this opportunity will require an all-hands effort with unprecedented collaboration among federal and state governments, local communities, tribes and the private sector. 

The summit is seen as an opportunity to bring key parties together to lay out a shared vision of wide-scale floating offshore wind energy deployment and dive into the technical, social, equity and environmental challenges and opportunities it presents. 

The tentative agenda (subject to change as speakers are added) is as follows:

Day 1 (Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023)

• 11:00 a.m. EST: Welcome and Introductions.
• Keynote – Part 1: Advancing floating offshore wind in the U.S. for our nation’s clean economy future.
• Introduction to the Floating Offshore Wind Shot.
• Keynote — Part 2: Advancing Floating offshore wind in the U.S. for our nation’s clean economy future.
• DOI’s Floating Offshore Wind Deployment Goal and Floating Offshore Wind Leasing Efforts.
• Keynote — Promoting expanded, just, and sustainable floating offshore wind deployment that creates good-paying jobs.
• Roundtable: Government leaders’ discussion of resources, programming, and capabilities.
• 3:30 p.m.: Adjourn.

Day 2 (Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023)

• 11:00 a.m. EST: Welcome and Review of Day 1
• Keynote — State Leadership and Federal/State Coordination for Achieving National Floating Offshore Wind Goals.
• Panel: Technology Innovation and LCOE cost reduction pathways.
• Roundtable: Innovators Perspectives.
• Break.
• Panel: Expanded, Just and Sustainable Deployment.
• Roundtable: Stakeholder Perspectives.
• Panel: Domestic Supply Chain.
• Panel: Offshore Wind Transmission.
• Panel: Co-generation Opportunities.
• Future Engagement Opportunities.
• 4:55 p.m. EST: Adjourn.

 To register click here.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and at https://twitter.com/DanMcCue