Partner Carl Valenstein is quoted in an MIT Technology Review article about challenges in building wind turbines off the California coast. Carl noted that floating wind turbine developers will likely have to comply with the Jones Act, which would require the wind power sites to be built, owned, and crewed primarily by American citizens.
Because of where the sites are located, the Jones Act would also require US ships to tow and plant the turbines. That said, Carl pointed out that the current plans for the new energy sites outpace the number of available ships.
“At some point in the next year, people are going to have to ask the question: Where are we going to get the ships to implement these plans along the current timelines?” Carl said. “If a lot of these projects get going, those capacity constraints will be really felt—and you don’t get these ships built overnight.”