BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources (DENR) held its scheduled meeting of the Advisory Committee for the Louisiana Offshore Wind Roadmap on Thursday, Sept. 5. This committee is crucial in developing the state’s Offshore Wind Roadmap, in partnership with the Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX) and Jacobs.
The Offshore Wind Roadmap is designed to strategically harness Louisiana’s potential in offshore wind, aiming to create quality jobs and stimulate economic investment. It will address various aspects of offshore wind development, including the shared use of state-owned waters, best practices in wind power generation, workforce development, supply chain analysis, port assessment, and economic considerations.
“Louisiana has a long and proud history as a provider of energy,” said DENR Secretary Tyler Gray. “Offshore wind will expand our ‘all of the above’ energy portfolio and position the state as a manufacturing hub for offshore wind, enhancing our energy independence.”
The Advisory Committee will guide the roadmap’s development and implementation over the next two years, reviewing study findings and collaborating with specialized working groups. Louisiana has already approved two wind lease agreements and is home to the first American-made support vessel for offshore wind operations.
Gray noted, “East Coast wind projects have relied on Louisiana companies for years. We aim to keep that momentum going locally and support new projects closer to home.”
Camille Manning-Broome, President and CEO of CPEX, emphasized the importance of public engagement. “The Offshore Wind Roadmap will allow us to design a long-term strategy for the state. Through robust public engagement, we will integrate resident and stakeholder input to make informed decisions and implement effective policies.”
Jacobs, a global professional services firm, is contracted to conduct technical studies for the roadmap, including gap analyses, workforce and supply chain considerations, and environmental impact evaluations. Jacobs Vice President Fiachra Ó Cléirigh stated, “Drawing upon our extensive experience with Louisiana’s critical state infrastructure, we’re taking a comprehensive approach to designing an enduring energy independence and diversification program using offshore wind technologies.”
Additionally, PA Consulting will contribute its 30 years of energy market analysis to develop actionable economic insights, while Xodus will provide recommendations on advancing supply chain and workforce development strategies to ensure equitable economic growth.
The State of Louisiana aims to develop five gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035. The roadmap will comprehensively address the key aspects of offshore wind development to support this goal.
The first-ever American-made support vessels for offshore wind operations were built in Louisiana by the shipyard company Austal USA and Edison Chouest Offshore. Austal USA, based in Mobile, Alabama, and Edison Chouest Offshore, based in Cut Off, Louisiana, collaborated on constructing these specialized vessels. These vessels are notable for being the first to be designed and built in the United States specifically for the offshore wind industry.
