After years of permitting delays and false starts, there’s again reason for optimism over the job prospects for wind energy in the Ocean State.
A formal federal review of the 88-turbine Revolution Wind project proposed in federal waters off Block Island is finally underway. And several other projects slated to provide electricity to the region and New York are also moving forward, including one off Martha’s Vineyard that hopes to be operational by 2023.
Despite the uncertain timelines for most of those and other planned projects along the East Coast, they carry the potential of creating tens of thousands of jobs over the next decade. And as this week’s cover story reports, local schools and companies are eager to develop a pipeline of workers to help fill them.
Their efforts, however, remain hampered by uncertainty over not only when the projects will come online but how many permanent jobs they can create.
Revolution Wind, for example, in 2019 was projected to create 800 construction jobs but just 50 permanent operations and maintenance jobs.
Local proponents, however, hope Rhode Island can still position itself to support 10 times that many permanent jobs.
Such local job growth may be wishful thinking, at least in the short term. But Rhode Island at least is doing its part to be ready, including offering tax credits and other support to help develop training programs.
If the industry finally blossoms, the last thing the state that built the nation’s first commercial offshore wind farm in 2016 should be is unprepared to benefit.