Steel of West Virginia components to be used in offshore wind development

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Components from Steel of West Virginia are going to be used to help construct a ship that will be used in a major offshore wind development project.

U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm traveled to West Virginia Thursday and helped announce the new collaboration between Steel of West Virginia, Dominion Energy and Orsted Offshore North America.

Leaders say Orsetd Offshore North America plans to build large wind turbines and install them along the Atlantic Coast but needs a ship to transport supplies. Secretary Granholm said Thursday during a news conference that Dominion Energy plans to build that ship and use steel from West Virginia.

“This is sort of a window into the opportunity for West Virginia to be a leader in the energy of the future in addition to having led the energy that got us here and still powers us,” Granholm said. “The important message is that President Biden wants to make sure that no one is left behind and that these communities see an opportunity for themselves in this clean energy future. That this clean energy sector creates all kinds of jobs for all kinds of people.”

Orsted Offshore North America CEO David Hardy says Steel of West Virginia will supply 1,600 short tons of steel components for the construction.

According to a release from Dominion Energy, the project is expected to generate up to 1,000 jobs among the different companies involved.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is hosting Secretary Granholm in Morgantown and Harrison County.

During her listening tour in the Mountain State, Secretary Granholm will visit several facilities, including an underground coal mine.

“We are all about jobs. As the president said when he hears the word climate he translates it into jobs,” Granholm said. “And that’s why we are here to hear from West Virginians about what we should be doing as a partner on the federal side to make sure jobs are created here in clean energy. We want to grow the pie.”

Thursday, Manchin called the new infrastructure bill a “golden opportunity.”

Manchin said we (United States) can ‘lead the world in the clean energy transformation.’

“Some of the cleanest plants in the world are here in America,” Manchin said. “There are 6,600 coal-fired plants in the world. Around the world, there’s another 1,063 being built as we speak. So, for those who thought that 504 coal-fired plants in America were polluting the whole world and changing the climate, you’re wrong. For those that are continuing to build, we have to make sure they use the technology that we developed in America, that’s what West Virginia is all about. And that’s what we can do.”

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