Leaders of key federal agencies are women, champions of renewable energy

Moments ago the United States Senate confirmed Congresswoman Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior, the first Native American to serve in the cabinet. Her confirmation follows that of Governors Jennifer Granholm, the new Secretary of Energy, and Gina Raimondo, the new Secretary of Commerce, as well as earlier appointments of White House Senior Advisor on Climate Policy Gina McCarthy and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Amanda Lefton. President Biden’s new Cabinet Secretaries – all champions of renewable energy development – lead three federal agencies that have broad powers and responsibilities that directly affect the development of the growing U.S. offshore wind industry.

The agencies will need to work closely together to ensure reduction of barriers to offshore wind energy development in the United States. This includes the U.S. Department of Energy and its National Labs, which leads research and is in charge of modeling and standards development, as well as the Department of Interior, which holds the key to successful and comprehensive leasing of our ocean space. The U.S. Department of Commerce and it’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) oversees the safety and health of oceans and provides incentives for innovation in the ocean energy economy. The industry also must work closely with these agencies to develop a roadmap for offshore wind energy expansion along America’s coasts and make the U.S. a competitive supply chain exporter.

The following statement can be attributed to Liz Burdock, president and CEO of the Business Network for Offshore Wind: “The confirmation of Jennifer Granholm, Deb Haaland, and Gina Raimondo as the leaders of the Departments of Energy, Interior, and Commerce is historic, both for women and as champions of offshore wind energy. The industry is at a key growth period and can play a critical role in the Administration achieving its goals of creating a clean energy grid, addressing climate change, and job creation. However, time is of the essence. To compete with the exponentially growing markets in Asia and Europe, the U.S. must move swiftly to localize the supply chain and ensure the United States does not just compete but leads in this emerging market. I look forward to working with these accomplished women and the agencies they lead to build the next great American industry.”