New offshore wind developments are poised to help the US usher in a new era in energy but first, they need ships. More specifically, they need massive specialized vessels capable of erecting a skyscraper-sized turbine in the open ocean. Perhaps unsurprisingly, these are hard to come by.
Wind turbine installation vessels are already in short supply globally. And in the US, policies aimed at protecting domestic shipbuilding make it even harder for wind farm developers to get their hands on those vessels. Unless the US figures out how to bridge that gap, it could be choppy waters ahead for the country’s offshore wind dreams.