IPF Review

The buildup to this event in Atlantic City was big. We were all saying you gotta be there. It seems a lot of people got the message, last count 3,000. For those who could not afford the hefty entrance fee, NYS agencies and others worked out discounts for small organizations, non-profits, and educators. In the case of our own ESD and NYSERDA partners, that also meant an opportunity to stake out a space within the state booth. Initiated by Dave Whipple, Industry Director at NYSERDA, and others, we were able provide a united front for those stepping on the booth or sitting in workshops touting why NY has the resources and talent to move these mega-projects forward. Here on “the island”, we built our own little messaging team consisting of Suffolk County’s John Schneidawin, Federation of Labor LI’s Roger Clayman, David Fattizzo of the LIA, MRV Group’s Glenn Vickers and Roman Stone President Tom Montalbine. Worth noting that LI’s Haugland Group had quite a booth presence, with some of the best handouts at the show! 

I loved the feeling of partnership between all the regions, from Suffolk County to Manhattan, Hudson Valley past Albany. This may be the first time true cross-region cooperation results in serious economic opportunity across geographies, economic status, and political boundaries. 

The schedule was packed tight between meetings, workshops, and evening receptions. Video visits by all New Jersey and New York dignitaries was on full display along with onsite appearances by our own Doreen Harris and others at the forefront of the projects. All developers were represented, both Attentive Energy and Orsted had seats at multiple events, and the sometimes elusive but always sought after tier 1 supply chain entities. 

Some common themes were as follows:

• Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) came up throughout almost every session, regardless of topic. Glenn Vickers at MRV Group ran a particularly insightful panel made up of MWBE and SDVOSB founders speaking directly about the difficulties of breaking into supply chains, including wind related projects. Also on the panel was our friend and sponsor Jamie Bessman, of the newly formed Attentive Energy 
• Manufacturing and service provider capabilities. It was clear that manufacturers are ready and able to meet the requirements for offshore wind (raw materials concerns aside. See below). I met some amazing companies producing all sorts of components, from hydraulic brakes for turbines to high powered all-weather LED lighting arrays, small crew transport services to state-of-the-art offshore capable drones. 
• A need for speed. We need turbines in the water asap to meet federal and state guidelines. Much talk about the reality of 2030 and beyond. Cautious optimism would be the best way to describe it.
• Global supply chain. Sourcing materials has not been easy for any industry, from car parts to microchips. OSW is no exception. We already hear concerns over foreign steel imports and secondary steel operations upstate, but turbine manufacturers are blaming a mix of Covid, China exports, and the Russian/Ukraine war for a slowdown in their manufacturing capabilities.
• Portside access is not sufficient. U.S. ports need upgrades quickly to meet pending demand.

In Jersey news – Investment management company Blackstone announced that one of their portfolio companies, Atlantic Power Transmission, is investing $50m to help create a workforce hub for the  offshore wind industry in New Jersey. That’s “real” money. 

Pictured above on the left – Senior VP for Offshore Wind Development at RWE Sam Eaton speaks at a lovely art gallery reception. Note: We need maps to figure who is who these days with all the joint ventures. RWE America is a multi-faceted renewable energy company that is in a JV with National Grid to form Community Offshore Wind 
On the right – It takes a big room to support an audience of 3,000 people.
Pictured below – NYS struts it stuff at a prime corner location.