The following is text of a news release from the Offshore Marine Service Association (OMSA):
(NEW ORLEANS) — The Offshore Marine Service Association has announced the formation of the OMSA Wind Committee and announced that membership on the committee is now open to all OMSA members.
“Over the past 46 years, OMSA has done a tremendous job in promoting public policy that benefits the vessels, operators, and mariners engaged in the offshore oil and gas industry," said OMSA President Aaron Smith. "As more OMSA members apply their expertise to the offshore wind market, it only makes sense for OMSA to formalize our involvement in this sector.”
“The U.S. maritime industry has met the needs of every market it has encountered, and I’m confident that the offshore wind market will be no different," said Court Ramsay, chairman of the OMSA board of directors and president of Aries Marine. "I know my company has already committed vessels, resources, and personnel to offshore wind, and I look forward to working with fellow OMSA members on the OMSA Wind Committee to promote this market.”
The committee was officially created by a resolution unanimously adopted by the OMSA board of directors. The board charged the committee with making recommendations to the board and OMSA staff on strategies and initiatives that increase U.S. maritime industry involvement in the offshore wind sector. The committee will also work to ensure the laws and regulations governing the offshore wind are beneficial to the vessel operators and mariners that participate in this industry. Additionally, the committee will assist OMSA’s efforts to protect the Jones Act and ensure U.S. offshore wind infrastructure is constructed, serviced, and maintained in a Jones Act-compliant manner.
Of the committee’s focus on the Jones Act, Smith said, "The Jones Act was designed to foster, develop, and maintain a strong domestic merchant marine and shipbuilding industry. The law continues to accomplish that purpose and aid our national, homeland, and economic security. By ensuring the Jones Act is properly applied to the U.S. offshore wind industry, OMSA and the OMSA Wind Committee will help continue this important tradition.”
Lee Orgeron, an OMSA board member and CEO of Falcon Global, said, “Our company helped construct the Block Island Wind Farm and we look forward to sharing the expertise we gained in completing this first commercial wind farm in the U.S. with our fellow OMSA members on the committee.”
About the committee
Membership on the committee is open to all OMSA members. OMSA intends to have committee meetings periodically throughout the year. Additionally, the committee will endeavor to work with like-minded trade associations and interest groups to further the U.S. offshore wind industry. The committee chairperson will be chosen by the committee members. The OMSA Wind Committee joins the other OMSA committees: Crew and Utility Vessel Committee; Liftboat Committee, Human Resources Committee; Offshore Supply Vessel Committee; Health, Safety, Security, and Environment Committee; and Tug and Barge Committee.
About the Jones Act
Under 46 U.S.C. § 50101 (commonly referred to as the Jones Act,) cargo shipped between two U.S. points must move on U.S.-crewed, U.S.-owned, and U.S.-built vessels. The law — at no cost to the federal government — ensures our nation has the ships, crews, and a shipyard industrial base to protect our national interests at home and abroad. For this reason, the Jones Act enjoys the support of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration, and members of Congress of both political parties.
About OMSA
The Offshore Marine Service Association OMSA is the leading association of and spokesman and advocate for the offshore marine transportation service industry in the United States. The association represents 170-member companies and their 12,000 U.S. employees based throughout the U.S. For more information, visit www.offshoremarine.org.
