PROVIDENCE – One day after South Fork Wind, the country's first large-scale offshore wind farm, opened off the coast of Long Island, green energy and labor leaders gathered virtually to issue a joint call for regional collaboration and union involvement in advancing New England wind farms.
Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and national offshore wind advocates on Friday morning discussed a joint initiative build infrastructure that can generate up to 6 gigawatts of offshore wind energy, with union jobs powering these developments.
In just over 10 days, this coalition "will be closing bids on a massive, 6-gigawatt offshore wind proposal,"
said Patrick Crowley, secretary-treasurer for the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, calling this action "a massive step forward" in a national initiative to create 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030.
"In southern New England, we were the home of the nation’s first Industrial Revolution," Crowley said — a movement that gave rise to rapid mechanical and manufacturing advancements, but at the cost of "massive exploitation of workers and the environment."
With offshore wind, Crowley continued, the northeast now has an opportunity to once again lead the nation, but without these past failures.
"This time, we’re going to get it right," Crowley continued. "It’s going to be worker-led and committed to healing the environment."
Crowley was joined by Michael Sabitoni, general secretary treasurer of the Laborers’ International Union of North America and president of the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council; Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO; and other Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut officials and workers.
The industry has endured some announcements over the past year, with Shuler calling last year "challenging ... for offshore wind."
In August, Orsted announced. And in February, Orsted announced that it planned to implement job cuts and leave some markets, though the offshore wind giant said that these reductions will not impact the Revolution Wind project. The 704-megawatt offshore wind farm, in development by Danish offshore wind company Orsted, will service Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Eversource LLC previously had a 50% stake in Revolution Wind and South Fork Wind, but in February sold it through an agreement with infrastructure investment fund Global Infrastructure Partners.
But Shuler is confident that the industry is "turning a corner," and that resulting job creation can provide high-paying jobs to historically underserved communities such as women and people of color.
"The way we see it, any new and emerging industry is going experience some turbulence," Crowley said. "From our point of view, the global pandemic, inflation and global supply chain interruptions made 2023 a difficult year but those challenges are in the past.
"Our neighbors in New York just finished the first commercial scale project and just announced that new projects have been approved and will move forward," he continued. "We’re confident the tri-state proposals will meet the standards needed for successful projects. "
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.
