This week, the Congressional Offshore Wind Caucus announced its new bipartisan leadership slate ahead of its first meeting led by the new co-chairs with industry and policy stakeholders later this week.

Congresswoman Ross will join Representatives Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Anthony D’Esposito (NY-04), Nick LaLota (NY-01), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), and Bobby Scott (VA-03) as Co-Chairs of the Congressional Offshore Wind Caucus. Under this new leadership, the Caucus aims find bipartisan solutions to address the offshore wind industry’s challenges and ensure policies improve our environment and strengthen our economy.

“My home state of North Carolina continues to be a national leader in offshore wind energy development, and I am honored to join my bipartisan colleagues as a Co-Chair of the Offshore Wind Caucus,” said Congresswoman Ross. “In North Carolina, we stand ready to manufacture, construct, and operate the next wave of offshore wind projects and work across industries and sectors to propel this industry forward. With my fellow Co-Chairs, we will work on bipartisan policies to harness the power of offshore wind energy to power homes, create jobs, and put us on a path to a cleaner energy future. Together, we can use the same wind that powered the Wright Brothers’ flight more than one hundred years ago to unleash the full potential of American clean energy and protect our planet for generations to come.”

“With the Central Coast of California tapped to be one of the sites of the West Coast’s first offshore wind platforms, I am privileged to join the leadership of the bipartisan caucus in Congress committed to helping make these and other projects a reality,” said Congressman Carbajal. “Harnessing wind power off the coasts of the United States is a win-win for our communities. It creates jobs, lowers air pollution from dirtier fuel alternatives, and puts us on the cutting edge of this growing and global energy sector.”

“Offshore wind power continues to be a central focus of federal policymakers as the United States works towards developing a national plan for sustainable energy production that is beneficial for all Americans and safeguards our national security,” said Congressman D’Esposito.  “Community input has been ignored by greedy developers and incorporating those voices into the national conversation surrounding offshore wind energy production is critical. I look forward to utilizing my position as Co-Chair of the Offshore Wind Caucus to do just that.”

“I’m proud to announce the launch of the Congressional Offshore Wind Caucus, a pivotal step towards furthering discussions and collaboration. Including a Long Island perspective in these discussions ensures our coastal communities are represented and our voices are heard from both the energy sector and the communities affected by offshore wind. I look forward to working with all of my colleagues as we work to build a great nation for all,” said Congressman LaLota.

“We need to take a thoughtful approach to offshore wind as we transition to clean energy and work to address the climate crisis,” said Congressman Panetta.  “I am proud to work alongside my bipartisan co-chairs of the Offshore Wind Caucus to ensure coordination across levels of government as we deploy significant investments in offshore wind technology without sacrificing the local beauty we cherish.  By providing everyone a seat at the table, no matter where they live or their political beliefs, we will more readily meet our clean energy goals and do our part in the protection of the planet.”

“I am proud to serve as a co-chair of the bipartisan Offshore Wind Caucus as we address the climate crisis and advance clean energy. I have the honor of representing the Hampton Roads area of Virginia in Congress, a region leading in offshore wind manufacturing and deployment. I look forward to working with my fellow co-chairs and the rest of the caucus to leverage offshore wind to increase our supply of clean, domestic, and affordable energy and create good jobs for American workers,” said Congressman Scott.

The Caucus will hold its first roundtable under the new leadership later this week with industry and policy stakeholders to examine supply chain issues related to offshore wind development and opportunities to break current barriers to making the United States a global leader in the offshore wind industry.

The bipartisan Offshore Wind Caucus now has 30 members from both sides of the aisle and coastal states across the nation.