09.22.23

*TO BE RESCHEDULED* MEDIA ADVISORY: Rep. Magaziner, Ranking Member Grijalva, Committee Members to Hold Roundtable on Offshore Wind in Rhode Island

**THIS EVENT WILL BE RESCHEDULED DUE TO MEMBERS BEING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC FOR VOTES**

**INFORMATION ON NEW TIMING FOR THE EVENT WILL BE PROVIDED SOON**

Washington, D.C. – On Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at 8:45 a.m. ET, U.S. House Natural Resources Committee member Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.), Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.),  Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee Ranking Member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Federal Lands Subcommittee Ranking Member Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) will host a series of panels to examine how offshore wind development has led to good-paying jobs and lower energy costs in Rhode Island, and ways to accelerate the transition to clean energy nationally.   

The roundtable will feature three panels of experts on the following topics: 1) The Current State and Future Potential of Offshore Wind, 2) Balancing Offshore Wind and Other Ocean Uses: Fisheries, Marine Life, and Affected Communities, 3) Workforce Needs and Opportunities for Frontline Communities.

Following the roundtable, Members will travel by boat to view the Block Island Wind Farm, the first commercial wind farm in the United States which now delivers clean energy directly to 17,000 homes in Rhode Island. 

There will be press availability following the tour of Block Island wind farm at 4:30 p.m. ET in Newport, RI. 

Media interested in attending the roundtable and/or press availability in person must RSVP to Lindsay.Gressard@mail.house.gov for location and entry information. Interviews with Members may be available upon request. 

What:

House of Representatives Member Roundtable Panels on Offshore Wind

When:

Friday, Sept. 22 at 8:45 a.m. ET

Where:

In-person (RSVP required): South Kingstown, Rhode Island

Livestream: https://fb.me/e/1uQLQ1Iis

Panelists:

Panel 1: The Current State and Future Potential of Offshore Wind

  • Mr. Josh Kaplowitz, Vice President, Offshore Wind, American Clean Power Association
  • Mr. David Ortiz, Head of Government Affairs & Market Strategy, Northeast, Ørsted
  • Mr. Cristopher Kearns, Acting Energy Commissioner, Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources

Panel 2: Balancing Offshore Wind and Other Ocean Uses: Fisheries, Marine Life, and Affected Communities

  • Dr. David Bidwell, Associate Professor, Department of Marine Affairs, University of Rhode Island
  • Mr. Gary Yerman, Owner and President, New London Seafood Distributors
  • Ms. Kris Ohleth, Executive Director, Special Initiative on Offshore Wind

Panel 3: Workforce Needs and Opportunities for Frontline Communities

  • Ms. Priscilla De La Cruz, Co-Chair, Climate Jobs Rhode Island
  • Mr. Andrew Cortés, Founder and Executive Director, Rhode Island Building Futures
  • Mr. Michael Sabitoni, President, Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council

Press Contact

Lindsay Gressard

202-740-4715