The offshore energy industry is at a critical crossroads. Completed projects are already producing real-world results, creating jobs, delivering clean power, reducing costs, and protecting the environment.
The path forward is far from smooth. The sector is facing turbulence, including federal stop work orders, permitting delays, market uncertainty, political attacks, and widespread misinformation. These challenges put at risk the progress made so far and test the resilience of an industry essential to America’s clean energy future.
At the same time, this moment presents a crucial opportunity. How the offshore energy sector responds now will determine whether it can fully realize its potential as a driver of economic growth, energy security, and environmental progress. Strengthening supply chains in steel, shipbuilding, and manufacturing, reforming permitting processes, and building durable bipartisan support are critical steps. Ensuring that decisions are guided by data, science, and real-world results rather than politics and misinformation will determine the sector’s trajectory.
In New York, these stakes are especially clear. Offshore wind is essential to keeping the grid reliable, affordable, and resilient. Empire Wind and Sunrise Wind together would power over 1 million homes and meet 10 percent of the combined electricity demand of New York City and Long Island. Fully permitted 25-year contracts with fixed prices offer stability for energy bills and help reduce price volatility. According to a 2025 Aurora Energy Research analysis, once New York’s first three offshore wind projects are operational, they could save New Yorkers 77 million dollars during a single cold, high-cost month.
Halting these projects would threaten grid reliability, with the NYISO’s Short-Term Assessment of Reliability warning of Downstate deficiencies if Empire and Sunrise do not come online as planned. Beyond energy, these projects are already supporting 7,500 U.S. workers, including nearly 2 million New York union labor hours, and are projected to generate more than 2.5 billion dollars for New York’s economy by 2030.
The challenges and opportunities facing offshore energy will be explored in depth at the International Planning Forum (IPF) 2026, where NYLCV President Julie Tighe will join the panel “Playing the Long Game: Preparing for the Next Chapter of Offshore Energy.” This session will discuss how to navigate turbulence, strengthen supply chains, counter misinformation, and build durable support for offshore energy. Drawing on lessons from completed projects, the panel will highlight how offshore energy delivers real economic, environmental, and energy security benefits while preparing the industry for the next wave of development.
NYLCV is proud to be a strategic partner of IPF, hosted by Oceantic in New York City from February 9 to 12, 2026. The conference brings together policymakers, industry leaders, and innovators to exchange insights and explore actionable strategies for a sustainable energy future.
Registration is open now, and spots are limited: Register here. For more information on the agenda, speakers, and conference details, visit the IPF website.