January 19, 2021 โ President-elect Joe Bidenโs climate plan proposes building thousands of offshore wind turbines as a key contributor to the goal of a carbon-free U.S. energy sector by 2035.
With the states largely carrying the ball as the Trump administration stepped back from climate change and clean energy, the pressure is on for the new administration to come through on its promise.
โThe actions by the states across the country have been really important and kept the U.S. moving forward in spite of a lack of leadership in Washington,โ Josh Albritton, director of climate change and energy at the Nature Conservancy, said. โThat change is happening โฆ but to get to 2050 (net-zero carbon emissions nationally) we need the federal government.โ
While onshore wind power is projected to see greater growth nationally over the next 30 years, offshore wind power is far more important in the populous Northeast where topography and population density mean more permitting conflicts and fewer of the large tracts needed for utility-scale wind farms.