Offshore Wind

Offshore Wind

Offshore Wind

Coal- and gas-fired plants emit harmful, deadly pollution that threatens our health, safety, and our environment. By embracing offshore wind and phasing out coal, we are moving towards our goal of reaching net zero emissions, and ensuring that the future of our planet is clean, healthy, and free of pollution. 


Why it matters

What is offshore wind?

Photo: Gary Norton, Department of Energy

Offshore wind is a renewable energy source that generates electricity by harnessing the power of wind. Unlike other fuel sources like coal or methane gas, offshore wind does not produce harmful, deadly pollution as a byproduct of energy generation.

Creating Jobs

The offshore wind sector is ready to employ up to 58,000 Americans every year from now until 2030, with high-paying, skilled careers in clean energy supported through shipbuilding, operations and maintenance ports, and the manufacturing of steel and components.

Right now, the United States is on track to produce enough electricity from offshore wind to power over 72 million homes by 2050.

What we are doing

Offshore wind is critical to combating climate change

We believe that bolstering offshore wind in the United States is critical to combating climate change and paving the path to a cleaner future. We are working from coast to coast to advocate for more investments in offshore wind, educate communities on the benefits of this resource, and push the energy sector to bolster its offshore wind projects.

Victory!

South Fork Wind, located off the coast of Rhode Island currently generates over 130 MW of clean electricity—enough to power up to 70,000 homes and businesses in Long Island, New York!

August 25, 2025

Washington, D.C. - On Friday, the Trump Administration issued a stop work order to the Revolution Wind project in Rhode Island. The project is already 80 percent completed—with 45 of its 65 wind turbines already installed—and once completed,…

July 31, 2025

Washington, D.C. - The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has rescinded all designated wind areas on the outer continental shelf. Over 3.5 million acres of public waters that had gone through a thorough vetting and approval process to…

June 15, 2025

Washington, D.C. - Today, the Sierra Club is celebrating Global Wind Day by encouraging communities across the country to show their support for offshore wind. Offshore wind projects in the United States have the potential to create over 770,000…

May 20, 2025

New York, NY - The Trump Administration has reversed course and lifted its stop work order on the Empire Wind project, and the project’s parent company has announced it will resume development. 

May 15, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A group of 10 environmental groups filed a legal brief today in support of an effort by states and industry to overturn the Trump administration’s government-wide ban on new wind energy projects.