Next Event:

Offshore Wind Energy: Overcoming Federal Headwinds

November 18, 7 PM

Cosponsored by Green Newton

Offshore wind presents a generational opportunity to deliver renewable energy, decarbonize industry, stimulate economic growth, and catalyze the revival of shoreline infrastructure. Offshore wind can be deployed at gigawatt-scale without the significant land use, siting, and viewshed concerns associated with onshore renewables. Furthermore, offshore wind taps into strong and consistent ocean winds that allow electricity to be produced efficiently, particularly during nighttime and wintertime when onshore renewables are less productive.

Although a cornerstone of northeast U.S. states’ decarbonization and energy reliability strategy, offshore wind is facing unprecedented impacts from adverse Federal actions in 2025. Stop work orders for fully permitted projects under construction, threats to withdraw permits granted under previous presidential administrations, executive orders obstructing the issuance of Federal permits under this administration, and tariff policies that increase supply chain costs have all stymied progress in tapping into this critical resource.

Zach Fuerst, Commercial Director at Vineyard Offshore, will discuss the critical need for offshore wind in New England, and outline the challenges facing the industry today as well as opportunities for the future.  

Vineyard Offshore is the exclusive U.S. offshore wind development team for Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), the world's largest renewable energy investment fund manager. Bringing industry-leading expertise to every phase of offshore wind development – from design to construction – Vineyard Offshore is advancing several offshore wind projects on both the East and West Coasts of the U.S., with the potential to produce over 6 gigawatts of clean, renewable energy. Vineyard Offshore’s portfolio of projects includes Vineyard Wind 1 (50/50 joint venture with Avangrid), the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind farm, which is currently under construction; the Excelsior Wind project located in the New York Bight; and the Vineyard Wind 2 project located south of Vineyard Wind 1. Vineyard Offshore is also developing floating offshore wind off the coast of Northern California.

About Our Speaker

Zach Fuerst is Commercial Director at Vineyard Offshore and is responsible for originating and developing the business case and strategy for future North American offshore wind investments on behalf of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), the world's largest greenfield renewables investment fund manager (more than 30 billion USD under management). Zach completed his MBA at Yale University and earned master’s and bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Columbia University and the University of Michigan, respectively.