Renewable energy has been at the centre of news headlines in the US countless times of late, often not for the reasons those of us within the sector would have wished. A step change in climate policy under the current Administration has dramatically shifted the balance, but as one major newspaper recently reported, US green energy growth is proving hard to kill.

Forecasts from the US Energy Information Administration have power output from renewables growing, with solar generation tipped to increase by 46% in the next two years. Even wind power, arguably the sector that has been hit hardest by the shift in federal policy, is expected to grow by 12%.

Green energy in North America is booming and, with the power of the markets behind it, this progress doesn’t show any sign of letting up and OEG is in it for the long haul.

It is only natural therefore that, as we gather for the IPF exhibition this February, the conversation around the American energy transition has shifted. Speculation about future potential is giving way to present-day realities, evidenced by the complex, multi-front expansion of renewable energy deployment.

At OEG, we have a unique vantage point from which to watch this diversification of the US’ proud and storied energy sector. While our heritage is deeply rooted in the offshore sector, specifically oil and gas, our strategy has evolved to span the entire renewables spectrum.

From the critical subsea infrastructure of offshore wind to the logistical precision required for the burgeoning hydrogen and energy storage sectors, companies like ours are the silent engine behind the US energy transition.

Benchmarking a foundation for growth

OEG’s track record in the US is a point of immense pride, but more importantly, it is a testament to reliability delivered at scale. Most recently, we successfully completed the installation of the mid shore export cable for the Empire Wind project, a milestone that underscores both the maturity of the US offshore wind market and OEG’s capability to execute complex subsea construction works safely and efficiently.

To date, OEG has been involved in 100% of US offshore wind during their construction phases, providing consistent, mission-critical support from early works through installation and commissioning. While O&M is often referenced alongside construction, the reality is that the industry to date has been predominantly focused on building assets. That dynamic is now beginning to change.

As the installed base of offshore wind in the US becomes increasingly material by the end of next year, OEG’s strategic focus is shifting accordingly. The next phase for the sector, and for our relationships with developers, is to transition seamlessly from construction delivery into long term operations and maintenance support, ensuring assets continue to perform safely, reliably and efficiently over their full lifecycle.

Our topside division, particularly our temporary power service line, has maintained a continuous presence on every site, delivering multi-megawatt solutions.

This capability is complemented by OEG’s proven success in marine coordination on US projects. Through close collaboration with developers, EPCs and marine contractors, we have supported vessel management, logistics planning and interface coordination to ensure safe, efficient execution offshore. Our work with leading US utilities, including Dominion Energy, demonstrates the ability to operate within tightly regulated marine environments while maintaining schedule certainty and operational excellence.

Future energy strategies demand an integrated service model. In anticipation of the transition from construction into O&M, OEG is actively expanding its in-country subsea and topside service offering, aligning capabilities under a single, accountable delivery framework. Irrespective of the phase of a project, the same non-negotiable standard must apply; reliability, safety and execution certainty remain the foundation on which everything is built.

Building the American renewables workforce

The true bottleneck for the US energy transition isn't technology, rather the availability of a skilled, reliable workforce. To meet this challenge, companies must move beyond checkbox approaches to local content and focus instead on building capability at scale.

OEG’s management team in the US is now 100% American, providing local leadership with deep market understanding. Beyond this, we have the proven ability to train US personnel within our established European operations, giving them hands on experience on mature offshore wind projects before bringing that expertise home.

This approach allows us to help create a highly skilled US workforce in short order, one that benefits directly from decades of global offshore experience while remaining firmly rooted in local communities. It also ensures continuous employment pathways, supports talent retention and accelerates the development of cross disciplinary skillsets critical for long term O&M delivery.

Underpinning this is global best practices, where decades of international experience in renewables can be deployed on US soil, ensuring that local projects benefit from global maturity.

A global strategy with a local pulse

Built on our long track record of supporting the oil and gas sector in the US, the blueprint for OEG’s renewables expansion in North America is one we’ve proven globally.

In the APAC region, we used our base in Taiwan to build deep local capabilities that now support projects across Japan and South Korea. In the US, we see the same potential. By investing in people, training and infrastructure now, we are positioning ourselves – and the wider supply chain, to support both the construction boom underway today and the long term O&M market that will follow. I’m sure it is a point that will come up time and again at IPF, but the transition is bigger than any single sector. It is about building a sustainable, resilient energy infrastructure that can withstand both environmental and economic headwinds.

OEG has already proven it can deliver during the construction of every major offshore wind project in the country. The next step is clear: to apply that same level of excellence across operations and maintenance, helping to set the benchmark for the American energy future.