New Bedford EDC Director Attends Offshore Wind Conference

New Bedford Economic Development Council Director Matt Morrissey spent several days in Virginia Beach last week, attending an offshore wind conference.

The AWEA Offshore Windpower Conference and Expo welcomed business leaders and officials from the East Coast, providing essential information on the future of offshore wind in the U.S.

Morrissey tells WBSM News a strong theme at the conference was the weight the election will have on the offshore wind industry.

Morrissey says GOP candidate Mitt Romney's energy policy calls for the expansion of the oil and coal industries, and if he's elected, projects like Cape Wind and the New Bedford South Terminal Maritime project could face significant setbacks.

As for the South Terminal's construction timeline, Morrissey hopes the state will submit a RFP for the project within the next 30 days. Morrissey says the terminal would take anywhere from 18 to 22 months to construct, with Cape Wind using the terminal as a staging area as soon as construction is complete.