Chart: Which US states are leading the way on offshore wind?

Both states have a long way to go to meet their upcoming goals: 9 GW of offshore wind by 2035 for New York and 5.6 GW by 2027 for Massachusetts. Still, they’ve made more progress than other states.

Four of the states with offshore wind goals — including California, which aims to build 25 GW by 2045 — currently have no projects under construction or in advanced development, per the American Clean Power Association. Meanwhile, New Jersey has several gigawatts’ worth of projects in advanced development, though very little is under construction; earlier this month, the state received approval for its first offshore wind project, a 2.8 GW installation that will power 1 million homes.

Elsewhere, construction is underway. In Virginia, utility Dominion Energy started building a 2.6 GW project in May. Once complete in late 2026, the installation will bring the state nearly halfway to its goal of 5.2 GW by 2034. Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut are all building out installations now, and the states entered into an agreement earlier this year to further accelerate efforts.

Though it’s been a tumultuous past year for the industry, offshore wind capacity in the U.S. more than quadrupled over the last 12 months. And activity in the sector isn’t going to slow down: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management plans to hold four lease auctions for offshore wind development this year for sales off the coast of Oregon and in the Central Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Gulf of Maine — more auctions than the agency has held in any prior year and double last year’s.

The country — and states — may not be tracking toward their near-term goals, but it’s clear that offshore wind power is gaining momentum, even if slower than hoped.