News

ESS Joins OffshoreWindDC

February 9, 2011 – East Providence, Rhode Island – ESS Group, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has joined the Offshore Wind Development Coalition (OffshoreWindDC), a group of businesses advocating federal policy initiatives that promote the development of offshore wind farms. OffshoreWindDC was founded in July 2010 by seven offshore wind developers, along with its affiliate, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). 

OffshoreWindDC President Jim Lanard stated, “The Offshore Wind Development Coalition is pleased to count ESS among our early members. ESS brings real-life and real-time experience and expertise in the siting and permitting of offshore energy projects to OffshoreWindDC’s mission of paving the way for a viable and robust offshore wind business in the US.”

With the number of U.S. offshore wind farms expected to grow significantly once necessary local infrastructure is established, OffshoreWindDC has identified a number of challenges they hope to resolve through discussions with federal and state regulators and legislators, as well as with a wide range of stakeholders including national environmental organizations. Foremost among their concerns is the long lead-time required to receive permitting and approval to begin construction of an offshore wind farm, which is currently estimated in the range of seven to nine years. OffshoreWindDC advocates shortening this timeline while also ensuring full compliance with environmental and wildlife protection laws and regulations.

Other challenges the organization expects to focus on include adopting new federal tax policies, establishing national research and development programs for offshore wind, protecting preferences adopted by individual states for in-state generation, developing transmission policies that are fair to the offshore wind industry, and developing reasonable regulatory and permitting regimes for offshore wind that protect the environment and cultural resources.

For more information about this organization, visit the OffshoreWindDC website.  Visit the ESS website for more about ESS renewable energy services.