American Offshore Wind Coalition Executive Director Chris Quinn released the following statement today regarding important Jones Act provisions included in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019:
“The American Offshore Wind Coalition applauds the U.S. House of Representatives leadership and the Rules Committee leadership for including language in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 that strengthens and protects the Jones Act regarding offshore wind installations. The expansion of the U.S. offshore wind industry is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for American workers now and into the future, and for our economy as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Any weakening of the Jones Act would be at the expense of American workers and an investment opportunity worth more than $100 billion to U.S. companies, at a time when we need as many infrastructure projects as possible to fuel our economic recovery. Our goal is to create a domestic supply chain, and removal of the Jones Act provisions would severely hamper those efforts.
"Any argument that securing a Jones Act waiver is too burdensome or will cause delays is merely an attempt to create a permanent loophole that will take opportunities away from American workers and companies, especially since at least one of the heavy-lift vessels in question is on the drawing board for building in a U.S. shipyard – with more to follow.
"With the Trump Administration’s streamlining of National Environmental Policy Act regulations this week, the complex and lengthy path to building U.S. offshore wind facilities is going to move faster than ever before. There is no need to weaken the Jones Act to help speed up the process.”
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