Global renewable energy leaders explore opportunities on Oregon’s South Coast, Oct. 5

COOS BAY – Rick Osborn release – Representatives from RWE, the 2nd largest renewable energy producer in the world, recently visited Oregon’s South Coast to look at potential locations to develop off-shore wind facilities. The visit last month was timed about a month ahead of the virtual US DOI Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Oregon Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force meetings scheduled for Oct. 21st where next steps in the BOEM process to identify Oregon Wind Energy Areas will be discussed. Ocean Winds – a local group focused on bringing the burgeoning offshore wind energy industry to the South Coast – hosted the visit by RWE leadership including Head of Development Offshore Americas, Dominik Schwegmann and West Coast Offshore Wind Senior Developer, Ross Tyler. The group visited with local leaders and stakeholders. Schwegmann and Tyler toured a location near North Bend on the first afternoon and locations in the Reedsport area the following day. They met with local economic development leaders such as Oregon International Port of Coos Bay CEO John Burns, South Coast Development Council Executive Director Shaun Gibbs and Teresa Haga, executive director of CCD Business Development Corporation. During this meeting, Nancy Kirshner-Rodriguez, Western Director of the Business Network for Offshore Wind, a national nonprofit, educational organization with a mission to develop the offshore wind renewable energy industry and its supply chain provided a briefing on current progress in the United States on Offshore Wind and the potential for development of a robust supply chain in Oregon. Later in the visit, the RWE delegation explored locations along the coastlines of southern Coos and northern Curry counties and met with local officials in those areas. The trip culminated in a round-table with elected officials followed by a visit to locations near Charleston. The RWE representatives also met with government leadership from local indigenous people and had a long and productive meeting with several leaders and staff of the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians. RWE’s focus is to become a carbon neutral company by 2040 by investing in technologies like offshore wind. Not only is this a renewable resource to create energy, but it’s also a huge opportunity for manufacturing jobs on the South Coast of Oregon. Tyler stated during the visit that there are 74 career pathways that a person could pursue in this dynamic new field. They will need educated workers in engineering, environmental, business administration, finance and other fields in addition to many more workers in manufacturing, mooring systems, assembly and launching of wind float turbines and shipping equipment. Ocean Winds has also established a partnership with The Business Network for Offshore Wind. The Network partners with industry and government to build an innovative supply chain that will create and sustain jobs, benefiting local economies and ensuring a cost-effective clean energy portfolio. In Oregon, Ocean Winds and the Network are promoting Supply Chain Connect and we are confident many more jobs could come to fruition among existing local businesses that can become valuable parts of the supply chain for this industry. Visit oceanwinds.org to register your company. This exciting development offers the opportunity to create jobs for many years that will sustain a vibrant local economy with a variety of workforce needs that benefit union labor organizations. The wide assortment of jobs means that local students will be able to graduate from high school and get a good family wage job here locally. Community colleges and other institutions will be at the forefront of educating the workforce for these future renewable energy jobs. Opportunities for college-educated individuals to return to the region to pursue meaningful careers and support their families can come from this new industry.