b'2American Journal of Transportation ajot.com21 stcentury offshore wind power and the Merchant Marine Act of 1920Just over a century ago, the U.S. Congress passed the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, better known as the Jones Act, to protect the nations maritime interests. On the verge of potentially the greatest maritime industry boom since World War 2, the question of how to balance the dictates of the Jones Act and the commercial demands of Offshore Wind Power is a multi-trillion dollar question. By Matt Miller, AJOT AmericasoffshorewindMany types of vessels will industry is set for liftoff afterbe subject to Jones Act compli-yearsoffrustration,falseance over the course of offshore starts and delays. This month,wind energy development and the countrys first large-scaleproduction.Thesecoastwise commercial project, Vineyardvesselswillincludeevery-Wind1,announcedithadthing from cable-laying vessels securedthenecessary$2.3tothosethatferrycrewsand billion funding and will soonsupplies.However,theshipsPROJECT CARGO begin constructing its 800MWthataregarneringparticular windfarmoffthecoastofscrutiny are those most critical Massachusetts,withproduc- to the construction processtionexpectedintwoyearsand the most costly: Purpose- B i -A n n uA ltime.Otherprojectsupandbuiltwindturbineinstallation downtheeasternseaboardvessels, known as wind turbine should follow in short order.(ACTcontinued on page 5)Althoughsomeanalysts believethetargetoverly ambitious, the Biden admin-istration has thrown down aBREAKBULK AND PROJECT CARGO.gauntletthatoffshore-wind drivenpowerwillproduceSAVANNAH AND BRUNSWICK.30GW by 2030. What is evi-dent: A much more receptiveSMART MOVE.federalgovernmentisnow movinginsyncwithstates along the East Coast, where an increasing number of offi- EXPERIENCE, FLEXIBILITY AND RAPID MARKET ACCESS cialsseeoffshorewindas anecessarycomponentforMAKE THE GEORGIA PORTS THE PERFECT HUBboth renewable energy needsFOR BREAKBULK AND PROJECT CARGO.andeconomicdevelopment opportunities.Privatebusi-nesses and investors are rush-ing in as well. Further down theroad,theWestCoast shows enormous potential for floating offshore wind farms.However,a101-year-old law adds an element of uncer-taintytothis21stCentury windfall. The Jones Act, offi-ciallytheMerchantMarine Act of 1920, requires Amer-ican-built,operatedand owned ships be deployed to transportpeople,goodsand materialsbetweenoneUS portandanother,between domesticdestinations,or between a domestic port and point in US territorial waters. Most offshore wind projects willbesituatedinfederal waters. Much as the oil and gasindustrybeforeit,off-shorewinddevelopersmust figure out whether or not to employ Jones Act vessels to constructthewindfarmsor Dedicated teams well-versed in the special355,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space at Port of maneuver around them.handling requirements for each type of cargo Brunswicks Mayors Point TerminalA T oughD ecision ToDirect interstate access to manufacturing points1.3 million sq. ft. of warehouse space at Port of M Ake throughout the U.S. Savannahs Ocean TerminalTheUSAhasatough Established relationship with the GeorgiaRail: Brunswick - Direct CSX and Norfolk Southerndecision to make in the nextDepartment of Transportation for overweight Savannah - Direct Norfolk Southern and few years, said Martin Dron-field, special advisor to Jamesand dimensional cargo permitting assistance CSX via SwitchFisher Marine Services, chair-man of the East of EnglandFor additional information, contactEnergy Group and a veteranBobby Keel, Regional Sales Manager, Trade Development at in offshore wind and oil and(912) 965-6369, [email protected] development. gaports.com/cargo/breakbulk'