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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 1, 2022 
Contacts: Ellen Macaulay, Environmental League of Massachusetts 
emacaulay@environmentalleague.org, 617-742-2553 
Helen Booth-Tobin, Ceres 
booth-tobin@ceres.org, 617-247-0700 ext. 214 

(March 1, 2022) – A regional business alliance launched today, calling on the six New England states to deepen collaboration to responsibly develop offshore wind at a scale where it can become the dominant source of new electric power in New England and lead our transition to a low-carbon, clean energy future. Businesses for Offshore Wind, an initiative of the New England for Offshore Wind coalition, is a strategic alliance of New England businesses and institutions that support the coalition’s principles and priorities; they represent a cross-section of the regional economy, including banks, business associations, clean energy companies, retailers, and more. 

Businesses across the region are excited about the potential for offshore wind. Citing cost declines of more than 50% in the last decade, businesses see offshore wind as a key tool to minimize the impacts of volatile price spikes of fossil fuels. It will provide the power needed to fill the looming gap between supply and demand as fossil fuel plants shut down and the region transitions to clean energy to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. Likely to be the dominant new source of clean energy – 50% of all the power on the New England grid – by 2050, offshore wind is a critical tool for our region to combat climate change in a cost-effective way.  

A $100 billion industry waiting to happen, offshore wind could provide tens of thousands of jobs and drive significant economic development in the New England region. New England has enough wind off the coast to power the regional electricity grid ten times over – the most in the nation – and that wind is strongest and most consistent at times of peak demand. The power is right where it is needed – near the densely populated coast with high energy demand, and the shallow waters on the continental shelf are ideal for turbines.  

As part of Businesses for Offshore Wind’s launch, members sent a letter to the six New England Governors calling for deeper collaboration between their administrations, highlighting offshore wind as a critical shared resource to address climate change, grow the economy, and control energy costs. The letter states, “Offshore wind is the single biggest lever we can pull to address the climate crisis, meet our energy needs, and grow our economy simultaneously. Harnessing its economic potential could help drive economic growth by creating thousands of jobs, establishing our region as a hub for clean-tech development and deployment, expanding the market for local renewables, and saving ratepayers billions of dollars.”  

Founding members of Businesses for Offshore Wind include: The Alliance for Business Leadership, Amalgamated Bank, Bemis Associates, Berkshire Bank, Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, Boston Wind Power Services Inc., Browning the Green Space, Burns & McDonnell, Cape Cod 5, Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, Ceres, Connecticut Sustainable Business Council, Eastern Bank, Energy Efficiency Associates LLC, FirstLight Power Resources, Hollis Line Machine, Lautec US Inc., MassMEP, NEMO Equipment, New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility, Revision Energy, Robert E Derecktor Inc., Stantec, Sustainability Roundtable, Inc., Santander, and Vanasse Hangen Brustlin.    

Remarks by B4OSW founding members:

“Offshore wind is a massive opportunity that will create new businesses and thousands of new jobs. Investments in this billion dollar industry will reduce the Commonwealth’s carbon footprint, which limits the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure that these economic opportunities are equitably distributed.” – Nicole Obi, President & CEO, Black Economic Council of Massachusetts 

“Offshore wind is a crucial component of New England being able to wean itself of fossil fuel reliance by, or before, 2050 – a target we absolutely must achieve! As architects, we can design highly energy efficient structures; however, if the utility grid is not powered by clean, renewable electricity, these efforts cannot contribute as fully towards decarbonization as they must. Our future is predicated upon our ability to shift from a nationally-based fossil fuel consuming utility infrastructure to a locally-distributed clean electric infrastructure, powered by renewables. Offshore wind is a clean, reliable, local, and affordable option, which leverages proven technology with the added benefits of stoking innovation and job creation. Buildings emit approximately 40% of global greenhouse gases – the number one emitting sector; thus, for buildings to decarbonize, offshore wind is critical in our quest to achieve the sustainability goals of our clients and the municipalities in which they build their structures, not to mention the success of future generations to thrive within them.” – Blake Jackson, AIA, LEED Fellow – US Northeast Sustainability Design Leader – Stantec Architecture and Engineering 

“Investing in climate solutions that support social justice isn’t only the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do from a business perspective. Resources like offshore wind can reduce air pollution in underserved communities, and provide new opportunities for economic revitalization and upward mobility in communities that have been unduly burdened by pollutants in our energy system.” – Bob Rivers, CEO and Chair of the Board, Eastern Bank 

“Offshore wind has the power and scale needed to meet our region’s energy needs while simultaneously creating jobs and boosting the economy. These economic benefits would be magnified if we work together across the region to build out a robust domestic supply chain to serve an industry that will be the backbone of our energy strategy in a decarbonized world.” – Michelle Veasey, Executive Director, New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility 

“We believe that businesses must take action to fight climate change, which is an existential threat to the planet and to the economy. Advocacy to drive climate action at a larger scale is critical to those efforts. Offshore wind is a key climate solution for Connecticut, and driving collaboration across our region which shares an electricity grid will help maximize benefits to both the environment and the economy.” – Heather Burns, CEO, Connecticut Sustainable Business Council 

“Businesses across the region are ready to see the offshore wind industry move forward. A cleaner grid powered by sources like offshore wind is essential for businesses to meet their climate and energy goals and sets the stage for businesses to directly procure clean electricity to power their operations.” – John Carlson, Manager, State Policy, at Ceres  

About New England for Offshore Wind: New England for Offshore Wind (NE4OSW) is a collaborative, broad-based coalition that includes partners from a diverse array of organizations and communities across New England. We are committed to combatting climate change by increasing the supply of clean energy to our regional grid through more procurements of responsibly developed offshore wind. We believe that responsibly developed offshore wind is the single biggest lever we can pull to address the climate crisis while also strengthening our regional economy, protecting ratepayers, creating high quality jobs, and improving public health by reducing pollution. A transition to a clean energy economy through offshore wind must be done in an equitable way. Our coalition aims to drive New England governors and legislatures to support regional collaboration and make commitments by 2022 to power 1/3 of our region with offshore wind.