Overview: U.S. Power Industry – Emissions, Renewables, and the Push Toward Net-Zero

The American power sector has made notable strides in reducing its environmental footprint. Since 2007, carbon emissions from electricity generation have declined by approximately 36%, reflecting a decade-long shift toward cleaner energy. Despite these improvements, the sector still produced an estimated 1,551 million metric tons of CO₂ in 2021, underscoring the need for continued progress.

In 2021, natural gas remained the dominant source of fossil-fuel-based electricity, even as renewable energy adoption surged. Wind and solar power together accounted for an impressive 90% of all new capacity additions—a testament to the country's accelerating embrace of clean energy technologies.

At the heart of the transformation is offshore wind energy, a key pillar in the Biden administration’s strategy to revolutionize America’s energy landscape. As part of a broader vision tied to the Green New Deal, the U.S. aims to transition to a net-zero economy by 2050, with ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and expanding green infrastructure.

The Green New Deal, first introduced over a decade ago, serves as a guiding framework—not just a single bill—for achieving environmental sustainability and social equity. President Biden's climate strategy is the most ambitious ever proposed by a U.S. leader, aiming to combat the dual crises of climate change and systemic inequality through wide-ranging policy reforms and infrastructure investments.

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Top 5 Biggest & Majestic Offshore Wind Farms in the US
Largest Offshore Wind Farms in the US

The Future of Offshore Wind Energy in the U.S.: Jobs, Growth, and Ambitious Targets

As of today, the wind energy sector supports over 120,000 American jobs. Looking ahead, the U.S. Departments of Energy, Interior, and Commerce have set an ambitious goal: to scale up offshore wind capacity to 30 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. Achieving this target could unlock 83,000 additional jobs and generate billions of dollars in private and public investment—a massive boost to the clean energy economy.

Currently, the United States has only one operational commercial offshore wind farm: the Block Island Wind Farm, located off the coast of Rhode Island. It contributes a modest 42 megawatts (MW) to the nation’s offshore wind portfolio, highlighting how much room there is for expansion.

This 30 GW objective is more than a milestone—it’s a launchpad for long-term industry growth. Experts across the energy sector emphasize both the challenges and the immense opportunities that lie ahead in reaching this goal.

To succeed, industry leaders advocate for a coordinated strategy that includes robust infrastructure investment, streamlined leasing processes, enhanced regional collaboration, and the implementation of globally recognized workforce training standards. Together, these elements form the foundation for America’s offshore wind revolution.

Ocean Wind 1: The Largest Offshore Wind Farm in America

The United States has taken a major step forward in its clean energy journey with the approval of Ocean Wind 1the largest offshore wind farm ever planned on American soil. Backed by the Biden administration and spearheaded by Ørsted, a leading Danish energy company, this ambitious project marks a pivotal moment in the nation's transition toward sustainable energy.

A Giant Leap for Renewable Energy

Located approximately 15 miles off the coast of New Jersey, Ocean Wind 1 will feature 98 massive wind turbines, capable of generating 1,100 megawatts (MW) of electricity—enough to power over 500,000 homes. This project follows in the footsteps of Vineyard Wind in Massachusetts and South Fork Wind near Long Island, New York, becoming the third large-scale offshore wind project approved under the Biden administration.

Overcoming Controversy and Misinformation

While offshore wind development has faced political and environmental scrutiny, Ocean Wind 1 has cleared regulatory hurdles and pushed forward. Some members of Congress have raised concerns over potential tourism impacts and falsely linked whale deaths to wind farms. However, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has found no evidence connecting offshore wind activity to marine mammal deaths. Instead, NOAA cites climate change, shipping traffic, and vessel strikes as far more likely causes.

Powering America’s Clean Energy Future

President Biden has made offshore wind a cornerstone of his climate agenda, aiming to install 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity by 2030—enough to supply 10 million homes. Ocean Wind 1 is a critical component of this vision. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) plans to evaluate 16 offshore wind projects by 2025, fueling a new era of clean power and job creation.

Economic Impact and Job Creation

Ocean Wind 1 is not just a clean energy solution—it’s also a job generator. According to BOEM, the project will create more than 3,000 jobs during development and construction over the next three years. The offshore wind industry is also providing a lifeline to displaced oil and gas workers, particularly along the Gulf Coast. The Department of Energy estimates that a single offshore wind facility in the Gulf could create 4,500 construction jobs and 150 long-term operations roles.

Why Offshore Wind?

Offshore wind farms benefit from stronger and more consistent ocean winds, resulting in greater energy output per turbine compared to their onshore counterparts. Nations like the United Kingdom, Germany, and China have already heavily invested in offshore wind infrastructure. While the U.S. currently operates only two commercial offshore wind farms—Block Island Wind Farm (Rhode Island) and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind—Ocean Wind 1 signals that America is ready to scale up.

Launch Timeline

Ocean Wind 1 is expected to begin operations in 2025, delivering clean, renewable electricity to the grid and helping to meet the nation’s climate goals. As construction begins, the project will also serve as a template for future offshore developments, fostering innovation, economic revitalization, and environmental responsibility.

Top 5+ Biggest Offshore Wind Projects in the US

America's top renewable energy source right now is wind, and it's growing. 20 offshore wind projects with a combined cost of $61 billion are planned for the following five years.

Over the next ten years, Massachusetts ($14 billion), New Jersey ($12 billion), Maryland ($12 billion), Virginia ($10 billion), and New York ($7 billion) will spend the most on offshore wind power projects.

Over 15 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, this project is the country's first utility-scale offshore wind energy development. The development of 800MW of installed capacity will launch a new industry in Southeast Massachusetts, and the project recently received federal approval for construction.

1. Vineyard Wind 1

Top 5 Biggest & Majestic Offshore Wind Farms in the US
Vineyard Wind 1 - Biggest Offshore Wind Farms in the US

Over the course of the project's life, Vineyard Wind 1 will generate thousands of local full-time equivalent jobs while reducing carbon emissions by over 1.6 million tons annually.

It is the largest wind farm currently being built in the United States, with an investment of over $3 billion.

Vineyard Wind 1 will produce approximately 2GW of wind energy, which will be sufficient to power more than 400,000 homes and businesses. In 2023, it is anticipated to provide clean energy across the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

2. Ocean Wind

A utility-scale offshore wind project with a total capacity of 1,100 megawatts (MW)—enough to power 500,000 homes in New Jersey—has been proposed by Ocean Wind. The wind energy area, which is in New Jersey close to Atlantic City, is about 16 kilometers off the coast and has an average water depth of 24 meters.

More than 500,000 homes in New Jersey will receive clean, dependable energy from Ocean Wind. It is being created by rsted and Public Service Enterprise Group (PSE&G), and it is anticipated that commercial operations will begin by the end of 2024.

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3. South Fork Wind

Top 5 Biggest & Majestic Offshore Wind Farms in the US
South Fork Wind - Biggest Offshore Wind Farms in the US

The Town of East Hampton will be able to reach its goal of using only renewable energy thanks to the 132MV wind farm, which will be the first to connect in New York State. The project will use 12 turbines and a cutting-edge transmission system to produce enough clean energy to power 70,000 typical homes and offset tons of emissions annually.

The South Fork Wind project is a joint venture between rsted, the industry pioneer in offshore wind, and Eversource, a major player in the domestic energy market with in-house know-how in regional energy transmission. By the end of 2023, it should be up and running.

4. Revolution Wind

Off the coast of Massachusetts, Revolution Wind is a project that combines offshore wind energy and energy storage. The wind farm will be situated in the same lease area as the South Fork Wind Farm, which is being constructed to supply New York with electricity.

In this project, an offshore transmission backbone will be combined with a hydroelectric pumped storage system to create a "first-of-its-kind offshore transmission backbone." The project will provide 304MW to Connecticut and 400MW to Rhode Island.

The estimated start date for construction is 2023, and the estimated completion date is 2025. Eversource and rsted have a 50/50 partnership on Revolution Wind as well.

5. Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Farm

Top 5 Biggest & Majestic Offshore Wind Farms in the US
Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Farm

The project involves the development of a 2.5 GW-capable offshore wind area in New Jersey's federal waters. It is ideally situated to satisfy the expanding requirements of renewable energy targets in numerous east coast markets.

The Atlantic Shores site is located between Barnegat Light and Atlantic City, between a distance of 14 and 32 kilometers off the coast of New Jersey. The project is anticipated to start supplying electricity in 2027, and the site's water depths range from 18 to 30 meters.

A 50:50 joint venture between Shell New Energies and EDF Renewables North America is called Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind.

Top 5 Green Hydrogen Projects Starting

Find out more about the five clean hydrogen plants that are currently in the construction stage and will begin operations before the year is over.

1. St. Gabriel Green Hydrogen Plant

The project is a 15-ton per day green hydrogen plant that will begin operating in Louisiana in 2023 and supply the fuel cell market. Known as Hidrogenii, the joint venture was established by Plug Power Inc. and Olin Corporation. Plug Power will market the hydrogen and handle the logistics, while Olin will produce the hydrogen and offer operational support.

215 jobs will be created by the plant's construction in 2023, and more than 25 full-time, permanent jobs are anticipated to follow. This plant is the latest addition to Plug's expanding nationwide network of hydrogen production facilities in states like New York, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, and California.

Plug projects that it will be able to stop 4.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in North America by 2025 by producing 500 tons of liquid green hydrogen per day. The company anticipates producing 1,000 tons per day of liquid green hydrogen by 2028.

2. Sauk Valley Green Hydrogen Plant

This is Invenergy's first green hydrogen project in Illinois. Utilizing the co-located solar plant of Invenergy and low-carbon electrolyser technology from Ohmium International, the project will produce green hydrogen.

The plant will begin operations in 2023 and have an annual capacity of 52 tonnes. It will also have on-site storage capacity for 400 kg of hydrogen. The facility will have a PEM electrolyser from Ohmium, which can generate 6kg of hydrogen per hour.

3. Kingsland Green Hydrogen Plant

This undertaking is a Plug Power-run green hydrogen facility in Camden County, Georgia. Daily output from the plant will be 15 tonnes of hydrogen, which will be liquefied and stored before being loaded onto a vehicle for transportation. By the end of 2023, operations should begin and more than 200 construction jobs should be created.

4. Casa Grande Green Hydrogen Plant

Air Products will own and run the green hydrogen production facility in Casa Grande, Arizona, which will have a daily capacity of 10 metric tons. The facility is anticipated to be operational in 2023, and its output will be sold to the Californian and international hydrogen mobility market.

By using renewable energy sources to run the entire facility with zero-carbon energy, the production process eliminates carbon. The facility will also use two ThyssenKrupp Nucera electrolysers to create gaseous hydrogen, which will then be transformed into liquid hydrogen using exclusive technology from Air Products. A terminal for distributing goods to customer locations will also be present on the site.

5. Donaldsonville Green Hydrogen Project

In this project, a 20MW alkaline water electrolysis plant will be built at the company's Donaldsonville, Louisiana, manufacturing complex to generate green hydrogen. The facility will generate 20,000 tonnes of green ammonia annually and be integrated into current ammonia synthesis loops.

The project, which will be managed by CF Industries, is scheduled to finish construction and installation in 2023, at which point it will become the biggest of its kind in North America.

The electrolyser, which converts water into carbon-free hydrogen and oxygen, requires 100% of the electricity that CF Industries will purchase across its network from sources that are grid-connected. ThyssenKrupp and the project have partnered to release it.

Green Hydrogen: The Next Frontier in America’s Clean Energy Transition

While global investments in solar power, wind energy, battery storage, and electric vehicles have dominated the recent push toward a low-carbon future, green hydrogen is rapidly emerging as a critical pillar in achieving net-zero emissions. Produced using renewable energy sources, green hydrogen offers an innovative solution for decarbonizing some of the most energy-intensive and hard-to-abate industries.

By replacing fossil fuels in sectors such as refining, steel and iron production, chemical manufacturing, and heavy-duty transportation, green hydrogen has the potential to revolutionize industrial energy use. It is widely seen as a game-changer for deep decarbonization efforts that traditional renewables alone cannot fully address.

Since the United States rejoined the Paris Agreement, it has significantly accelerated its clean energy goals. The launch of the Energy Earthshot Initiative—which aims to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen by 80%, targeting $1 per kilogram within a decade—signals a bold new commitment. This nationwide effort is bringing together the entire research and development community, focusing on overcoming scientific, technological, and financial barriers to large-scale hydrogen deployment.

Looking ahead, the U.S. is set to become a major hub for hydrogen innovation. Over the next five years, more than 30 green hydrogen projects totaling an estimated $14 billion are in the pipeline. Leading the charge in hydrogen investment are states like California, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, which are poised to dominate hydrogen spending over the next ten years.

As the U.S. embraces this next frontier in clean energy, green hydrogen is positioned to become a cornerstone of the national decarbonization strategy, helping to power a more sustainable, resilient, and economically vibrant future.

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