The US offshore wind manufacturing boom that wasn’t
A planned U.S. offshore wind manufacturing boom has stalled after early progress, with investment and jobs evaporating due to economic and political challenges.
A Milwaukee factory once poised to supply offshore wind components pivoted instead to onshore wind after federal incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act failed to sustain offshore demand. Ingeteam’s Wisconsin plant, which repaired generators for onshore turbines, explored offshore generator production in 2024 but abandoned plans following Donald Trump’s election and subsequent policy shifts. Union leaders and company representatives described the abrupt reversal as disheartening for workers and the local economy, with job cuts announced in January 2025.
In Louisiana, Gulf Wind Technology opened a facility in 2022 to test large turbine blades for Gulf Coast projects, partnering with Shell and RWE to develop hurricane-resistant designs. The company’s CEO noted that rising costs and supply chain disruptions undermined commercial viability, forcing a retreat from offshore wind ambitions despite initial federal auction interest in Louisiana waters.
Offshore wind projects in the Gulf and East Coast faced cancellations and bankruptcies in 2023, including Siemens Gamesa’s abandoned $200 million blade facility in Virginia and EEW American Offshore Structures’ bankruptcy in New Jersey. Industry analysts had viewed these setbacks as temporary, but Trump’s second-term administration escalated opposition with stop-work orders and reviews of approved projects, halting progress on installations like Revolution Wind.
The Interior Department is now reassessing federal approvals for planned offshore wind farms, including Revolution Wind, which began operations in October. Experts warn that delays and cancellations have set the industry back by up to a decade, increasing future costs and timelines for any potential recovery in U.S. offshore wind manufacturing.