Press Coverage October 24, 2024

Oregon Public Broadcasting Quotes Locke Lord’s Josh Kaplowitz on Uncertain Future for Oregon’s Offshore Wind Market

Oregon Public Broadcasting

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Josh Kaplowitz

Locke Lord Washington, D.C., lawyer Josh Kaplowitz was quoted by Oregon Public Broadcasting on the combination of factors that led to the postponement of Oregon’s offshore lease sale to bring floating offshore wind technology to the southern Oregon coast. Kaplowitz notes that along with local opposition, technical challenges owing to deeper waters and lack of state mandates, developers are likely disinterested in Oregon’s auction because of its lack of a clear path to market. Once a market to sell electricity is created, “developers and investors will come,” he adds. “The creation of the market will help a lot of other things come into place and bring developers who are really good at this kind of engagement and can really work with communities to figure out how to best design these projects in a way to minimize impacts and maximize benefits,” Kaplowitz says.

Regarding Oregon’s future for offshore wind, he explains that “it’s absolutely pivotal that Oregon creates mandates that help bring interested developers and invest in the region as the climate crisis continues and electricity demand goes up.”

Read the full Oregon Public Broadcasting article.

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