ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — In a few years’ time, offshore wind could power the slot machines at this beachside gambling town.
Driving the news: As I reported for this week's "Axios on HBO," Danish company Ørsted, the world’s largest developer of this kind of energy, is planning to put nearly 100 massive turbines 15 miles into the Atlantic Ocean that could power a half-million homes — but opposition and delays could stymie that goal and the industry writ large.
The big picture: With New England and mid-Atlantic states enacting aggressive clean-energy policies, offshore wind in the United States promises to help combat climate change and create jobs. The numerous projects in the regulatory pipeline could power nearly 10 million homes.
Ørsted’s U.S.-based CEO, Thomas Brostrøm, said in an interview that this review is a “speed bump” — but he also acknowledged his company is making contingency plans if delays go on for too long.
“We've seen maybe a speed bump, which creates a little bit of uncertainty but that's following four or five years of very, very positive development. And obviously this is way too big to fail. We're looking at $70 billion to be invested over the next 10 years.”
— Thomas Brostrøm, "Axios on HBO" interview
Where it stands: The Interior Department, which regulates energy on federal lands and in federally owned waters, aims to complete the broader analysis of the industry’s impact, especially on commercial fisheries, early next year.
What they’re saying: Even Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), an ardent climate-change advocate, recently signed onto a letter urging the Trump administration to conduct more comprehensive reviews.
“If it was going to be the future of offshore wind to follow that example, they [the industry] were in for a long series of really difficult battles and long lawsuits and delays. So what we’re trying to do is head that off so that [the Interior Department] has a good process with a lot of good work upfront.”
— Sheldon Whitehouse, "Axios on HBO" interview