The story “Offshore wind projects see fresh interest,” in the March 4 Gazette, reminds us of the United States’ failure to embrace the economic potential of renewable energy.
It describes one U.S. company facing competition from very experienced companies from Denmark, Germany and Italy in the effort to develop the huge wind resources off the U.S. East Coast. Whether it’s because we continue to look for reasons why climate change isn’t happening, or because it just somehow isn’t “American” to invest in large scale renewables, we have dragged our feet in fields like offshore wind.
Other nations, particularly in Europe, haven’t been burdened by these anxieties and have invested heavily, while European businesses have eagerly developed and are marketing the technology world-wide, and in our region in particular.
Christopher E. Riddle
Amherst