Offshore wind presents a rare opportunity to develop the clean energy economy in a way that grows high-quality jobs and advances environmental and economic justice while reducing the impacts of climate change. The nation-leading investments that the legislature and governor are making to build out the offshore wind supply chain demonstrate a shared commitment to this vision. 

Global supply chain constraints remain one of the biggest challenges for achieving offshore wind deployment targets. Building out a domestic supply chain for offshore wind is therefore critical to meet the state’s deployment and broader climate goals. At the same time, this challenge represents a significant opportunity to help revitalize U.S. manufacturing and create good union jobs across the supply chain. Supporting domestic manufacturing will also provide opportunities for disadvantaged communities, as wages are substantially larger for median-wage, non-college educated employees, with Black workers in manufacturing earning 17.9% more than non-manufacturing industries; Hispanic workers earning 17.8% more; Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers earning 14.3% more; and white workers earning 29% more.i 

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) efforts to invest in domestic supply chain capacity for offshore wind are critical. We offer comments with respect to the significance of these public expenditures to advance private economic activity, as well as the need to contain costs and maximize return on investment. The long-term benefit of developing this industry in a way that creates high-road, family-supporting jobs in New York, and that creates real pathways into these jobs for historically disadvantaged communities, cannot be overestimated. 

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