Local Economy and Jobs

The European experience shows that offshore wind farms generate more jobs per megawatt installed than onshore wind farms. In 2007, 6,370 people were employed in  the EU offshore wind energy sector – including manufacturing, installation, operations, and maintenance jobs –  which  was then operating at a capacity of 210 MW (less than ten percent of the EU 2010 offshore wind capacity). The European Wind Energy Association estimates  that  by 2030, more than 215,000 people will be employed in the European offshore wind sector.

Offshore wind developments drive the need for local sourcing and manufacturing due to the high cost of transportation. American manufacturers are  seizing the market opportunity provided  by the onshore wind sector. The majority of   blades and towers used in U.S. onshore developments are produced domestically, and around 85,000 Americans were employed (directly and indirectly) in the wind manufacturing sector in 2009. A Virginia study found that within two decades, 9,700 to 11,600 jobs could be created in Virginia with the development of 3,200 MW of offshore wind. If the turbines for wind farms off the coast of Virginia were manufactured within the state, the capital  costs of the offshore  wind projects would decrease by $480 per kilowatt. Regardless of where the turbines are manufactured, a 588 MW offshore wind project would attract an investment of $403 million to the local economy. The National Renewable  Energy Lab estimates that if 54 GW of offshore wind were installed (as outlined in the DOE’s strategic work plan), 43,000 permanent jobs would be created in operations and maintenance, and more than 1.1 million  job-years  would  be  required to manufacture and install the turbines. Local manufacturing and jobs also contribute to the local tax base.