Biden makes area of ocean between New York and New Jersey an offshore wind zone

Biden administration says project would create 75,000 jobs and could power homes of 100 million people

The Biden administration has announced that it will designate an almost 800,000-acre area off the coast of parts of New York and New Jersey as a priority zone for wind power generation.

The industry has long struggled to gain ground in the US, The New York Times reported. Last year, 8.4 per cent of the power used in the US came from wind turbines, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

$3bn in loan guarantees will be made available to offshore wind projects. A loan guarantee means that the entity lending the money will take on the debt if the borrower defaults.

This comes as president Biden and his administration are about to announce a $3tn package aimed at building charging stations for electric vehicles, updating the country's power grids, and other infrastructure projects meant to combat climate change.

The White House is also aiming to expand offshore wind in the US to 30,000 megawatts by 2030. The administration claims this will create 75,000 jobs. They also want to use funding already approved by Congress for port construction and transmission development.

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Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday: “The president recognizes that a thriving offshore wind industry will drive new jobs and economic opportunity up and down the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico and in Pacific waters."

Republicans were critical of Mr Biden's promise of millions of new "green jobs" and have previously slammed him for ending new oil and gas leases. They have also blasted him for cancelling permits for the Keystone XL pipeline, which they say removed well-paying jobs from their states, The Times reported.

White House officials claimed the offshore wind plan would eliminate 78 million tons of carbon dioxide. They estimated that 44,000 jobs would be created as a direct implication of the task of installing the turbines, and 33,000 jobs would be created indirectly as a result of the new activity.

White House national climate adviser Gina McCarthy said that offshore wind power was a “new, untapped industry” that would lead to “pathways to the middle class for people from all backgrounds".

The Interior Department has estimated that as many as 2,000 turbines may be active in the Atlantic by 2030.

One administration official said the power generated by the turbines could provide electricity for the homes of 100 million people, The Hill reported.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said the area in New York and New Jersey is “home to more than 20 million people and is the largest metropolitan population area in the US, which translates to a significant demand for energy."

She added: “For generations, we’ve put off the transition to clean energy and now we’re facing a climate crisis. It’s a crisis that doesn’t discriminate. Every community is facing more extreme weather and the costs associated with that. But not every community has the resources to rebuild, or even get up and relocate when a climate event happens in their backyards.”

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said her department "is going to marshal every resource we have to get as many American companies, using as many sheets of American steel, employing as many American workers as possible in offshore wind energy to drive economic growth from coast to coast.”