Niki Tsongas: “My amendment increases funding by $5 million for the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable…”

“My amendment increases funding by $5 million for the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for the purposes of offshore wind job training grants. The amendment is paid for by using an equal offset from the Department's administration accounts. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, our Nation's offshore wind energy potential is nearly double our total electricity need. It is also an energy resource available to nearly every coastline in the country, including the Great Lakes. Offshore wind is broadly recognized as our Nation's next great energy resource, one that has the potential to create tens of thousands of new jobs in manufacturing, logistics, engineering, construction, and long- term operations and maintenance of these projects. This potential has been acknowledged by the Trump administration. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke recently spoke at an offshore wind energy conference and said that offshore wind has more growth potential than any other energy resource. In fact, he also published an op-ed in The Boston Globe in April underscoring the importance of offshore wind to the Trump administration's all-of-the-above energy strategy and announced two new proposed lease sales in Massachusetts for commercial wind development.…”