White House spokesperson Michael Kikukawa said the administration "is using every legally available tool to advance American offshore wind opportunities and achieve the goal of 30 GW by 2030." He noted industry investments have increased by $7.7 billion since Biden last year signed the Inflation Reduction Act, containing tax credits for clean energy.
In a U.S. Department of Energy report in 2022, just one of two independent forecasts predicted the U.S. would have at least 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030. In this year's report, published last month, 2030 forecasts by market research firms 4C Offshore and BloombergNEF were ratcheted down to 26.6 GW and 23.3 GW, respectively.
“The real reason that the Biden administration could set 2030 objectives for offshore wind is because of the U.S. northeastern states," said Doreen Harris, president of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority , which is implementing the state's offshore wind mandate of 9 GW by 2035.