Climate Change News: US 'Ready To Rock And Roll' With Major Offshore Wind Turbine Push

The Biden administration on Monday announced a charge toward renewable energy, hoping to ignite off-shore windfarm production through investment, speedy permit approval and low-interest loans. The Washington Post reported that the administration’s goal is 30 gigawatts of energy production, 1,000 times the production of the nation's only current windfarm.

“We are ready to rock and roll,” national climate adviser Gina McCarthy said Monday.

If successful, the effort could power 10 million households and preclude 78 million metric tons of carbon emissions.

Biden’s plan isn’t just about the environment: He hopes it will fulfill the promises he made during his campaign to create quality jobs in the energy sector.

“[The windfarms will sustain] thousands of good-paying union jobs. This is all about creating great jobs in the ocean and in our port cities and in our heartland,” McCarthy said.

While wind farms don’t require as much labor as fossil fuel extraction and refinement, they do need staff to maintain them. Those jobs tend to be higher-quality than their coal or gas counterparts.

In practical terms, the administration’s push takes the form of $3 billion in loans to green energy businesses, $230 million in upgrades to port infrastructure and a set deadline to review and approve permit applications.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will share information with Danish offshore firm Orsted to incentivize the development of its leases. NOAA will also spend $1 million to study the effect of wind farms on fisheries and coastal towns.

Eight million in grants will be offered by the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium, going to 15 wind research projects.