Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation and State Leaders Host Northeast Offshore Wind Summit
Related Media Coverage and Links
- DWEC to be Nation’s First Regional Offshore Wind Farm to Supply Multiple East Coast States (USA)
- Fishermen Fear Turbines’ Impact (Projo.com)
- Quonset is no Lock as a Wind Farm Hub; Supply Chain to Spread Throughout Region (PBN)
- Slow Startup for Regional Wind-Farm Jobs (projo.como)
- R.I. hosts Northeast Offshore Wind Summit (SouthCoastToday.com)
- NE Offshore Wind Summit: ‘Not In The Business of Building Fields of Dreams' (The Block Island Times)
- Conference Talks About Offshore Wind Future in RI at Providence Biltmore (USA)
- Northeast Confab Eyes Wind Power (BH.com)
- Offshore Wind Industry to Spread Throughout Region, Industry Leaders Say (PBN.com)
- Offshore Wind Summit Continues
- Wind Summit(Turnto 10.com)
- Industry, Government to Meet on RI Wind Power (Bloomberg News)
- Industry, Government to Meet on RI Wind Power (Boston.com)
November 15, 2010 | Print this page | Share This |
More than 150 business leaders, green companies and industry experts gather to explore the Northeast’s unique opportunity to lead the nation’s offshore wind indust
The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC) and state leaders hosted the region’s leading green companies, developers and coastal experts at this week’s Northeast Offshore Wind Summit.
The two-day summit identified the economic impact of the region’s growing offshore wind industry and explored new partnerships and workforce development tools so the Northeast can capitalize on its “first mover” leadership advantage.
“As the nation moves closer to realizing the economic and environmental benefits of renewable energy, particularly offshore wind energy, Rhode Island is poised to be the national model for other states to follow,” said Governor Donald L. Carcieri. “From the groundbreaking mapping of the ocean’s floor to the two-phase development of the state’s offshore wind project, Rhode Island is advancing quickly to lead the nation in the industry.”
“Rhode Island has the opportunity to lead the growth of the nation’s offshore wind industry, and we’re already seeing the early economic benefits of this burgeoning industry, particularly at Quonset Point,” said RIEDC Executive Director Keith Stokes. “Other states are closely watching our efforts, and this week’s summit furthers our commitment to capitalizing on the unique opportunity to establish a new economic engine here.”
The summit’s agenda (attached) addressed a wide-ranging set of issues, including Rhode Island’s groundbreaking ocean-mapping effort, federal alternative policy, supply chain logistics, port development and the economic and workforce-development impacts of the offshore wind industry. The summit also provided for opportunities for networking between industry leaders and local small businesses.
Highlights from the summit’s first day included important project updates from the nation’s two leading offshore wind developers –Deepwater Wind and Cape Wind – and a panel discussion among wind turbine and transmission cable suppliers Siemens, General Electric, Areva, TPI Composites and Global Marine.Two offshore wind advocacy groups also spotlighted recent federal policy initiatives to encourage growth of the industry.
The second day of the summit included the announcement of the establishment of an offshore wind Center of Excellence at the University of Rhode Island, and in-depth discussions about training and retraining the region’s workforce to meet the needs of the wind industry.
The Northeast Offshore Wind Summit is the third in a series of green-industry events hosted by the RIEDC.
In June 2009, the RIEDC assembled hundreds of thought leaders to identify Rhode Island’s opportunities to grow its green sector in the areas of advanced manufacturing, energy efficiency, innovation and wind power. At the February 2010 follow-up event, Advancing Rhode Island’s Green Economy, state leaders unveiled a strategic roadmap aimed at creating a clear strategy for advancing the state’s green economy.
