The Business Network for Offshore Wind says U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi, and Maryland Governor Wes Moore have been confirmed as the keynote speakers for its 2023 International Offshore Wind Partnering Forum (IPF), which is taking place March 28-30 at the Baltimore Convention Center.
The three-day event is expected to draw more than 4,000 attendees and 400 exhibitors from nearly 30 countries. As the offshore wind market transitions from demonstration to commercialization with the nation’s first two utility-scale projects set to begin operation this year, 2023’s IPF will be the most significant in size and scope, providing a premier forum to address the industry’s biggest opportunities and challenges, the organization says.
“This year’s IPF keynote speakers are decision makers who sit at the center of the U.S. offshore wind industry’s recent growth and market acceleration,” says Liz Burdock, president and CEO of the Business Network for Offshore Wind. “By bringing together the industry’s most important stakeholders, IPF will create unprecedented opportunities for collaboration and continue offshore wind’s forward momentum.”
Haaland will speak to the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to supporting the offshore wind industry as a key part of America’s green energy future. Since taking office in 2021 as the first Native American cabinet secretary in U.S. history, Haaland has prioritized sustainable energy and environmental justice as the Interior Department outlines the path to achieving 30 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030.
Zaidi will provide remarks during the opening plenary session and discuss the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to expand the U.S. offshore wind industry, chief of which is the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), passed in August 2022, which implemented a generous tax credit to encourage domestic production of offshore wind components and vessels.
Moore will open Wednesday’s plenary and discuss his administration’s efforts to supercharge the state’s offshore wind development. Moore set Maryland on an ambitious path toward decarbonization with his goal of ensuring the state produces 100 percent clean energy by 2035.
The conference will also feature remarks from Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Elizabeth Klein and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Director Kevin Sligh.