Offshore Wind Advocates Eye Collaboration on East Coast of U.S.

Proponents of offshore wind power along the United States’ eastern seaboard are promoting a collaborative network of state and industry leaders to help the nascent industry develop. Organizers of the so-called “U.S. Offshore Wind Collaborative” say the success of offshore wind depends on the construction of infrastructure, including transmission lines, ports to deliver the turbines, and maintenance stations. That will require collaboration between the region’s state leaders, said Greg Watson, leader of the group and senior energy adviser to Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts. It will also mean a single entity to lobby for federal research dollars, as well as policies to promote the industry, possibly including the extension of the production tax credit for wind projects. “There’s a difference between having a bunch of projects and having an industry,” Watson said. Among the early directors of the collaborative is Jim Gordon, developer of Cape Wind, a 130-turbine offshore project proposed off the Massachusetts coast. After years of local, state and federal review, the U.S. Department of Interior is expected to release its report on the project soon.