Last summer, President Joe Biden and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel initiated the German-American climate and energy partnership. The Offshore Wind working group has now been set up by the BMWK (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection) and the American Department of Energy (DoE), according to the German Offshore-Wind Initiative (GOI).
Several areas of cooperation have been identified for the energy partnership. This also includes the cooperation in so-called “energy transition-related technologies” with which offshore wind energy is particularly addressed.
The working group will meet several times a year. Contents include updates on the current status of offshore wind development in the respective country, challenges in the supply chains for the construction of offshore wind power plants, and the technical exchange on the regulatory framework and R&D topics in both countries.
In addition to Mike Matthews (country representative USA for German Offshore Wind Initiative GOI), around 10 other members from science and politics have been nominated to date. Martin Skiba (member of the board of directors for Offshore-Windenergie Foundation) and Nate McKenzie (technology manager for Wind Energy Technologies Office, DoE) will jointly lead the working group, each from a German and American perspective.
The next working group meeting will take place for the first time as a face-to-face event with participants from both countries on April 25, 2022 in Atlantic City. The German side is currently preparing a comprehensive presentation on current topics in the offshore wind industry in Germany. This should be shared with the members of the working group and beyond.
Read more about the climate and energy partnership between the USA and Germany here.
