The Offshore Wind Jobs and Opportunities Act: Creating Opportunities to Support a Renewable Future3/23/2021 The Offshore Wind Jobs and Opportunities Act was introduced in the House on February 11, 2021 by Rep. William Keating [D-MA-9] on behalf of himself and 21 co-sponsors*. The Bill was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Education and Labor. This Bill was introduced in the 116th Congress as H.R.3068, but was reintroduced in the 117th Congress as H.R.998 (1). A bipartisan identical Bill to H.R.3068 was also proposed in the Senate in 2019, S.1769, but did not receive a vote. Currently, there is not an identical bill in the Senate.
*The 21 co-sponsors are: Reps. Chellie Pingree [D-ME-1], Chris Pappas [D-NH-1], Paul Tonko [D-NY-20], Salud O. Carbajal [D-CA-24], Rashida Tlaib [D-MI-13], Jerry McNerney [D-CA-9], Donald Norcross [D-NJ-1], Jared Huffman [D-CA-2], Nanette Diaz Barragan [D-CA-44], Yvette D. Clarke [D-NY-9], Nydia M. Velazquez [D-NY-7], Stephen F. Lynch [D-MA-8], Donald McEachin, A. [D-VA-4], Katherine M. Clark [D-MA-5], Ro Khanna [D-CA-17], Richard E. Neal [D-MA-1], Ann M. Kuster [D-NH-2], Alan S. Lowenthal [D-CA-47], Lori Trahan [D-MA-3], Albio Sires [D-NJ-8], Andy Kim [D-NJ-3]. THE BILL: H.R.998 What does the Bill do? The goal of this Bill is to establish a training grant program for offshore wind careers by adding an amendment to the Outer Continental Shelf Land Act (2). The purpose of the training grants is to allow entities to develop or improve curriculum and training programs to provide essential skill sets for employment opportunities in the growing offshore wind industry. This includes specific needs such as manufacturing, construction, installations, operation, engineering, education and maintenance. Grants for training will be awarded one year after the enactment of this Bill. At least 25% of the grants will be given to eligible community colleges that apply. As a lead applicant, groups are limited to one grant that is no more than $2,500,000. They can also partner with another eligible entity, state or local government, or a nonprofit organization. With the Secretary of the Interior’s guidance, those awarded grants must annually report the following data: the number of participants enrolled and completed, the services provided, the amount of money spent per participant, the rate of job placement and employment retention. The Bill would provide $25 million every fiscal year from 2022-2026 for this program. It would also require the Secretary of the Interior in consultation with the Secretaries of Energy, Education and Labor, provide a report every two years to various House and Senate Committees (3) describing how different grantees are using the funds. Why was it proposed? Offshore wind development is a growing industry world wide as the push towards renewable energy has increased, and cost for wind development has declined making it more competitive with traditional energy sources. Additionally, wind speeds tend to be faster and steadier offshore than they are on land, yielding more energy per turbine (4). If 1% of the nation’s potential offshore wind capacity was used, that would be enough energy to power 6.5 million homes (5). The Block Island Wind Farm by Deepwater Wind was the first commercial offshore wind project to be completed. Five wind turbines (6 megawatt) were installed off the coast of Rhode Island, and will provide energy to the mainland (9). For more information about wind energy and training programs nation-wide, check out the US Department of Energy’s WINDExchange interactive map (10). The Department of Energy’s (DOE) 2018 Distributed Wind Market Report notes that there are 83,000 turbines across the nation with 1,127 megawatts of energy capacity (6)--for comparative purposes, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that the U.S. energy capacity at the end of 2019 was 1.1 Million megawatts (7). Distributed wind is used by residential customers, manufacturers, car dealerships, restaurants, cities, municipal facilities, schools, and universities (8). Trained workers are an essential part of this industry for maintaining and manufacturing these wind farms. In order to capitalize on the opportunity that offshore wind provides, and the shift to renewable energies, more trained people are needed to sustain these initiatives. Benefits Wind energy is an inexhaustible resource that is now the largest source of renewable power in the US (11). Unlike fossil fuels, wind energy is a clean fuel source, and does not consume water in order to run. Acid rain, smog, and greenhouse gases are not produced during energy generation. Additionally, half of the US population lives along the coast, and nearly 80% of the nation’s electricity demand occurs in the coastal and Great Lakes states. Offshore wind farms would help meet the high energy needs from renewable, nearby sources. According to the DOE, land-based winds are stronger at night, and offshore winds are stronger during the day. This difference would allow offshore wind development to fill a gap in wind energy production (9). Additionally, wind power is one of the cheapest energy sources available (1-2 cents/ kilowatt hour; 11) and is sold at a fixed price over 20+ years, which provides stable rates. While fossil fuel energy sources add a price uncertainty due to fuel costs, wind energy does not because wind is free (11). The US wind sector currently employs >100,000 workers and with the more wind turbines built, more jobs related to manufacturing, installation, and maintenance will be needed (11). The demand for renewable energy will continue to increase the need for wind power and trained workers. Challenges Offshore wind farms can be more expensive and more difficult to maintain then their on land counterparts (12), due to stabilizing turbines in deep water and manufacturing power cables to transmit energy back to shore. The larger offshore turbine components can be logistically difficult to transport, such as relocation to the sea via narrow roadways (9). The effects offshore wind farms have on birds and marine animals are also not completely understood, and can be harmful (12). Additionally, wind farms built within 26 miles of the coastline are often unpopular among residents who enjoy natural views. Hurricanes and strong offshore storms present their own set of unique challenges to the wind industry, such as powerful wind and waves (13), but ongoing research is designing hurricane-resilient systems. Want to advocate? Does this bill resonate with you? Do you want to see it become a law? Have concerns or thoughts you would like to discuss? There are 21 current co-sponsors of this Bill: William Keating [D-MA-9], Chellie Pingree [D-ME-1], Chris Pappas [D-NH-1], Paul Tonko [D-NY-20], Salud O. Carbajal [D-CA-24], Rashida Tlaib [D-MI-13], Jerry McNerney [D-CA-9], Donald Norcross [D-NJ-1], Jared Huffman [D-CA-2], Nanette Diaz Barragan [D-CA-44], Yvette D. Clarke [D-NY-9], Nydia M. Velazquez [D-NY-7], Stephen F. Lynch [D-MA-8], Donald McEachin, A. [D-VA-4], Katherine M. Clark [D-MA-5], Ro Khanna [D-CA-17], Richard E. Neal [D-MA-1], Ann M. Kuster [D-NH-2], Alan S. Lowenthal [D-CA-47], Lori Trahan [D-MA-3], Albio Sires [D-NJ-8], Andy Kim [D-NJ-3]. Do you see your Congresspeople listed above? If not, you can email your policymakers by finding their emails at https://www.congress.gov/members?searchResultViewType=expanded or call their offices to voice your thoughts. Remember to use our Resources page for more information and guidance when reaching out! Footnotes
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |