Beyond power: Will offshore wind development bring jobs?

Chad Allen, of Cianbro, inside a wind turbine tower.

State legislators and industry advocates have been heralding the coming benefits of offshore wind development: it will reduce Maine's costly addiction to imported fossil fuels, lower the state's ecological footprint, and provided a much-needed stimulus to the state's struggling economy. According to Dr. Habib Dagher, director of the Advanced Structures and Composites Center at the University of Maine, the State's goal of developing five gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 stands to create more than 15,000 jobs.

When, and in which sectors, those jobs might materialize, however, are two major questions.

In Europe, where the industry is vastly more developed, the European Wind Energy Association reports that 41,396 individuals will be employed with offshore wind jobs in 2010. The majority of these jobs are in manufacturing, providing the components that make up the 3.5 gigawatts of offshore wind that has already been installed.

By contrast, the industry in the United States is still in its early stages. Several companies are developing plans for offshore wind projects but turbines have yet to be installed. 

The development of these projects, as well as Maine's goal to create 15,000 jobs, are dependent on a number of factors. Current uncertainty about global energy markets, federal and state energy policies, and offshore permitting requirements leave potential wind developers-and related industries-with a difficult path to travel.

According to Paul Williamson, coordinator of the Maine Wind Industry Initiative, more than 50 percent of the jobs that Dagher refers to are in the manufacturing of the actual turbine components. Williamson believes that, "attracting turbine manufacturing to Maine is the holy grail." However, the state's ability to do so is dependent on at least two key elements.

The first is demand for both onshore and offshore wind within the region, which Williamson pegs as significant. He believes with confidence that there are currently six gigawatts of installed, planned, or permitted wind projects within a 500-mile radius of Maine. With Maine's stated goal of establishing an additional three gigawatts of onshore and five gigawatts of offshore wind power there could be more than enough demand to attract manufacturers that would specialize in both types of turbines.

The second factor relates to manufacturing infrastructure. Approximately 20 percent of the possible jobs are in blade manufacturing, an industry that requires facilities with access to deep water and up to 15 acres of covered workspace, according to Susan Swanton, Director of the Maine Marine Trades Association. While Maine has long been a leader in composites manufacturing, Swanson recognizes that "my guys have the skills to build the blades, but in your typical boat building shop you just don't have the space you need. It's not that people don't have the skill to do it, it's that they don't have room to do it." Some larger facilities in the state, such as Bath Iron Works, might have the potential to meet these needs, however the role they will play in offshore wind is still unclear.

If economic, policy and manufacturing conditions are favorable to bring the industry to Maine, there will be "an absolute commitment to use local talent," says Parker Hadlock, general manager of Cianbro Corporation's Wind Energy Services. The Portland-based Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) has set the tone on this issue, having already spent approximately $5 million in Maine and created jobs for over 50 people in seven counties through ongoing testing at its tidal power facility in Cobscook Bay.

So what are the kinds of jobs Mainers can expect if offshore wind energy development and manufacturing were to come to the state?

Manufacturing

Maine has a strong background in composites and precision manufacturing and is therefore well prepared for the possibility for large-scale wind turbine component manufacturing. According to Williamson, "if such a manufacturing facility were to be established, the state would need a good workforce of people who can understand how to utilize math and science, bring that to the workshop floor and the employer will take it from there."

Training needed: Strong math and science skills and/or a background in composites or precision machining. On-the-job training will provide the specific skills needed for assembly line processes.

Transport

Site research, installation, and turbine maintenance will require trips to offshore sites. According to Cianbro's Hadlock, "there's no better waterman than those that grew up handling boats." Although this segment will make up far fewer jobs than those in manufacturing, fishermen, as well as other small vessel owners and operators, could have the opportunity to benefit.

Training needed: Vessel operators will be required to carry, at minimum: a "six-pack" captain's license, safety equipment for all on board, and appropriate insurance to cover all activities that will take place on the vessel. In addition many companies may require vessel operators to have passed a U.S. Coast Guard dockside inspection and/or have additional experience and certifications.

Installation and construction

According to Hadlock, the skill sets required will include skilled craftspeople that work on welding, pipe fitting, electrical work, and operate equipment. They will be supported by structural, mechanical, electrical, and ocean engineers. "If it's done properly, the projects will be so large and happen over 10-15 years, it will create an industry, not just a project. Whole careers can be created from offshore wind," Hadlock said.

Training needed: This job sector requires many skill sets that already exist within the state. According to Paul Williamson, electric linemen, mechanical engineers, welders, or people who have worked in carpentry, heavy construction with stainless steel or foundation work are all candidates for wind turbine installation. Additional training would happen on the job.

Operations and maintenance

Turbine operation and maintenance jobs are some of the more visible in the industry yet experts agree that the total number of positions created in this area is relatively low. In the case of Dagher's projection of 15,000 jobs, operations and maintenance positions make up a very small percentage of the total jobs created. According to Williamson, an offshore wind farm will hire approximately one service technician for every 10 turbines. Yet the European Wind Energy Association reports that offshore wind farms overseas are experiencing a shortage in the skilled workers required to fill these positions.

Training needed: An associates degree, such as the wind power technology program offered at Northern Maine Community College, is suggested to enter this field. Turbine manufacturers also offer training programs. Physical fitness is required, as turbine technicians must frequently climb towers that are several hundred feet high.

Professional services

While much of the focus in the job discussion is on manufacturing and installation, the industry as a whole covers a variety of sectors. Experts predict that there will be significant job creation in fields such as accounting, project management, legal services, insurance, engineering and environmental services.

Early lessons from test sites

The three ocean energy test sites that were designated by the state in December 2009 will likely provide the first glimpses of offshore wind development in Maine waters. While the scope of these sites is limited to research and development, permits could enable up to three wind turbines to be installed in the water at each site at any one time. The site south of Monhegan Island is likely to be the first one that is developed, as the University of Maine-led DeepCWind Consortium been awarded $12.4 million in federal funding to test floating wind turbines there.

According to Elizabeth Viselli, the associate program manager, the test site work is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which requires the university to have a particular "focus on creating jobs and report on how many the project has created."

In order to develop the site, researchers will focus on turbine design, siting, and ongoing environmental monitoring. Viselli anticipates that the majority of researchers will be drawn from the University of Maine's civil and mechanical engineering departments and its School of Marine Sciences, creating opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students along the way.

Cianbro has been hired as a task manager to build, deploy and recover the test turbines. The company will work with Bath Iron Works and Maine Maritime Academy to manage these parts of the project. When appropriate, work will be subcontracted out to smaller firms, particularly those close to the test site.

Viselli said that the project will have a specific focus on using the local workforce. On-island opportunities will include the hiring of a technical liaison to provide assistance and information to researchers, as well as a few individuals to help maintain data collection equipment that is sited on Monhegan. Approximately $100,000 has been budgeted to hire island captains to work with researchers.

Viselli said that the project also expects to provide business to local inns "not just in the summer but throughout the year". The opportunities to work on turbine maintenance would be limited as the project is designed for short-term deployment periods during which researchers may tend to the machines themselves, Viselli said.

What does all of this mean for those anticipating the jobs that offshore wind could bring? There is much uncertainty about the extent to which ocean energy will actually be a part of Maine's future, and there is even more uncertainty if Maine will attract, or even want to attract the "holy grail" of components manufacturing.

Despite the myriad questions about when and how the industry might develop, there is a commitment from many stakeholders in Maine to prioritize and prepare its citizens for whatever job opportunities do arise. While offshore wind and other ocean energy technologies such as tidal power are new to the state, the fields of ocean transportation, composites manufacturing, boat building, construction, and precision machining are nothing new. As Swanton proudly states "we still have lots of people here in Maine who can work with their hands," and it is these skills that Mainers already possess that may help prepare the state to become a leader in the field.

For more information on wind energy education and training opportunities go to: http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/schools_training.asp

Suzanne Pude is the director of the Island Institute's Maine Coast Community Wind Program. Gillian Garratt-Reed is the Island Institute's marine programs officer.