In February, I flew to London at the invitation of the British Embassy to spend a week of meetings and site visits reviewing the remarkable story of economic and environmental progress made by Great Britain with its offshore wind generation program.
The success story in the United Kingdom can and should be replicated here in America. Offshore wind generation, on the eastern seaboard of North America, offers a remarkably effective opportunity for energy independence, electric cost stabilization, job-growth, manufacturing revitalization, national security, and remedying a deteriorating global environment. The results and progress of the United Kingdom’s investment in its offshore renewable energy programs have literally proven that anticipated economic benefits are achievable and are rapidly exceeding the most optimistic projections.
During the week I spent as part of the U.S. delegation, I met with scores of U.K. government officials and industry executives. The daily presentations that were made detailing the success story of the United Kingdoms’ foray into a successful offshore wind generator (totaling well over 5 gigawatts of generation capacity) in a short yet productive period of time demonstrates what could and should be replicated here.
John Kowalko
State Representative
25th District
