NEW ORLEANS – Even as the Trump administration’s policies have slowed new offshore wind development, Nunez Community College is continuing to train the next generation of wind energy technicians, sending students this spring to operating wind farms off the Northeast coast for firsthand experience in an industry that continues to advance despite mounting federal obstacles.
Industry Faces Headwinds
A report released June 29 by energy research firm Wood Mackenzie found that expanded federal permitting reviews have put more than $121 billion in planned U.S. renewable energy investment at risk. The report said about 32% of the nation’s early-stage renewable energy project pipeline, including wind, solar and battery storage projects, is now subject to additional federal scrutiny.
Launched in 2024, Nunez’s Wind Energy Technology program is Louisiana’s first associate degree program in the field, building on the state’s long-established offshore energy and maritime workforce to prepare students for careers in offshore wind.
Although Louisiana has no commercial offshore wind farms, the program prepares graduates for careers on offshore wind projects throughout the United States and internationally. The curriculum is approved by the Global Wind Organisation (GWO), the international standard for wind technician training, enabling graduates to earn internationally recognized certifications alongside an associate degree and technical credentials.
While new offshore wind development has slowed, existing projects continue to operate and new facilities are still coming online. Researchers at Harvard Environmental & Energy Law Program describe how the United States has gone from essentially one small commercial offshore wind project a few years ago to multiple utility-scale projects operating or nearing completion, although the pace of new leasing and permitting has slowed dramatically under the Trump administration.
A June 2026 industry tracker published by the New Bedford Light found that several Atlantic Coast projects remain active despite legal and regulatory challenges, with many of the nation’s largest offshore wind developments centered off the Massachusetts coast.
Nunez – Training for an Uncertain Wind Industry
Against that backdrop, three students and two instructors from Nunez’s Wind Energy Technology program traveled to Rhode Island and Massachusetts in May through a National Wildlife Federation Wind Farm Boat Tour Grant. Kat Bell, coordinator of Nunez’s Sustainable Energy Career Academy, and Derrick Collins, wind instructor, accompanied the students to the South Fork Wind and Revolution Wind offshore projects, where they observed commercial-scale turbine installation, marine logistics, maintenance operations and the broader economic impact of an operating offshore wind industry, providing experience that currently is not available in Louisiana.
“While classroom and laboratory instruction provide critical foundational knowledge, observing offshore wind turbines in their real-world environment allows students to connect theory with practice in a way that can’t be replicated on a college campus,” Bell said.
Nunez says the trip had the intended effect on first-year Nunez wind student Walker Argao.
“I loved seeing the scale of how large the turbines were,” said Argao. “As we approached and got close, the size didn’t grow the way you would expect it to because they were so huge. It was very surreal to hear the noise they made as the blades swung overhead.”
Learning From Operating Wind Farms
Knowledge gained during the trip will be incorporated into Nunez’s wind curriculum, including video recorded inside and around the turbines and lessons examining the economic effects of offshore wind development on the New Bedford region.
“The fishing community’s livelihoods were enhanced with reliable paychecks when they contracted their boats for environmental surveys during the permitting and installation processes,” said Bell. “By immersing ourselves in a community that has experienced the entire wind project installation process, including halts due to federal permitting delays, we were able to see a living example of how the permitting process works and how delays have immediate economic effects on communities.”
The National Wildlife Federation Wind Farm Boat Tour Grant also supported the delegation’s participation in the Academic Center for Reliability and Resilience of Offshore Wind (ARROW) conference at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science and Technology, as well as a visit to the National Offshore Wind Institute at Bristol Community College, where students and faculty exchanged ideas, best practices and programmatic insights with a similar GWO-certified wind technician training program.
First-year wind student Maria Lopez-Tagaloa said the conference broadened her understanding of the industry’s impact.
“At the ARROW conference, I really appreciated the conversation about not only the sociological effects of renewable energy, but also the environmental effects and the collaborative attitude between the wind industry and other maritime industries,” said Lopez-Tagaloa.
Earlier this year, Nunez expanded the program by adding four new GWO-certified training modules, including blade repair, lift operations, hazardous energy control and slinger/signaler training. College officials said the additions are intended to keep the curriculum aligned with evolving industry standards and employer demand as the offshore wind sector continues to evolve.
