Board Member Andrew Lavigne and Executive Director Kristin Urbach updated their Ocean Network colleagues on Connecticut’s efforts in the industry during the Network’s State of the States webinar Feb. 26.

Andrew, Manager of the Office of the Clean Economy in the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, shared a high-level review of the state’s Offshore Wind Strategic Roadmap and its pillars of Infrastructure & Real Estate, Supply Chain, Workforce, and Research & Development.

Kristin explained the CT Wind Collaborative’s responsibilities in executing the Strategic Roadmap by first acknowledging with state and regional partners the need for collaboration between the Northeast states. Kristin has led this regional effort to create an offshore wind industry cluster of expertise and shared resources to support growth, attract investment and talent, and to foster innovation.

The Connecticut Wind Collaborative Offshore Wind Regional Supply Chain Study, now underway with support from industry experts at The Pew Charitable Trusts and Xodus, is the preeminent example of this effort. The Study is intended to help New England, New York, and New Jersey identify and expand supply chain opportunities to foster a cohesive regional approach to meeting industry demand.

Results of the industry’s first-in-the-nation approach to a supply chain study are scheduled to be released in the spring just ahead of Ocean Network’s 2025 International Partnering Forum in April.

Will Cox, a member of the CWC Board and Vice President of Business Development and Investment at Commerce RI Corp., presented Rhode Island’s strategies to continue its role as a hub for the industry.