Welcome to the USOWC

The mission of the US Offshore Wind Collaborative (USOWC) is to address the technical, environmental, economic and regulatory issues necessary to catalyze the sustainable development of offshore wind energy in the waters of the United States.

The US Offshore Wind Collaborative (USOWC) is an interdisciplinary, non-profit organization created to help the United States harness its vast offshore wind resources. The USOWC provides a forum for information-sharing, problem-solving, and capacity-building among government, industry, academia, energy, and environment advocates with the goal of realizing the great potential for coastal and Great Lakes wind to contribute to local clean energy production, climate change mitigation, and jobs-creation.

In 2009 the USOWC officially incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit with a nine member Board and a new Executive Director (click here for bios). The Board represents a diverse group of offshore wind energy stakeholders, and includes four new members in addition to members of the original USOWC Steering Committee. The USOWC now has an office in the Cambridge Innovation Center at 1 Broadway, Cambridge, MA. To support the transition to fully independent operation, startup funding has come from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MCEC), along with program funding from the Energy Foundation.

The USOWC is actively seeking opportunities for collaboration and partnership. We will be putting out a call for membership on a new USOWC Advisory Council in the near future, to help refine and execute our work plan. The USOWC is also searching for partners to assist in launching a new content-driven website that will serve as an information clearinghouse for the US offshore wind industry. This current website is a work in progress.

To sign up for the USOWC mailing list please email your contact information to info@usowc.org

U.S. Offshore Wind Energy: A Path Forward

In 2009 the U.S. Offshore Wind Collaborative (USOWC) published U.S. Offshore Wind Energy: A Path Forward. This document serves as a resource for government, industry, and non-governmental stakeholders by offering a snapshot of U.S. offshore wind energy activity in 2009.

Offshore wind energy has great potential to address the United States’ urgent energy and environmental challenges. While this abundant domestic renewable energy source is currently untapped, there is growing political and market momentum to develop the vast offshore wind energy resources on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf and the Great Lakes.

This document provides an overview of the following areas critical to sustainable offshore wind energy development:

Regulation and government policies
Technology development
Economic and financial viability
Environmental/marine use compatibility
Leadership and coordination

Status of US Offshore Wind Development Activity by State

Click on individual states to view activities or here for a summary chart.

USOWC Offshore WindHub Survey

Thanks to funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), USOWC is building a new web-based information clearing house – the Offshore WindHub – to consolidate, integrate and make available information from key state and federal agencies concerning Atlantic Coast offshore wind energy development.

We are looking for your input! All responses to the survey will be kept confidential, and will help us better understand your information needs and preferences in designing the new website.
Hyperlink to post: http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e5hyjbp7gx9idllw/start

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USOWC 2012 Offshore Wind

Ports and Vessels Webinar

Douglas-Westwood and USOWC led a webinar introducing two important Department of Energy (DOE)-funded studies on the ports and vessels requirements for offshore wind. Representatives of GL Garrad Hassan America (ports) and the Douglas- Westwood Team (vessels) outline their respective project objectives, approaches, deliverables, project schedules, and opportunities for engagement. The webinar lasts one hour.

Download the PowerPoint presentation here.

Listen to the webinar with this audio file.

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