There is a vast opportunity to make money by building offshore wind farms in the United States and according to Jeff Grybowski, CEO of Deepwater Wind, the offshore oil and gas industry already possess the knowledge, equipment and work force to tap into it.

TULSA, Oklahoma and HOUSTON, March 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PennWell Corporation is pleased to announce the first conference dedicated to bringing together the U.S. offshore oil and gas industry and the U.S. offshore wind industry for information exchange and networking. The Offshore Wind Executive Summit will take place in Houston, Texas from August 9-10 at the Norris Center in CityCentre.

There is a vast opportunity to make money by building offshore wind farms in the United States and according to Jeff Grybowski, CEO of Deepwater Wind, the offshore oil and gas industry already possess the knowledge, equipment and work force to tap into it.

"From a construction perspective, it doesn't matter if you are putting a drill rig on top of [a foundation] or a wind turbine, it's the same thing," said Grybowski in an interview with Renewable Energy World, the organization that created the conference.

The six conference education sessions will focus on the business opportunities for offshore oil and gas companies interested in working in the offshore wind industry: Logistics, Infrastructure and Project Development; Foundations and Cables; Risk Management; and Jobs, Training and HSE.

In addition to the educational sessions, conference attendees will be able to network during the multiple coffee and water breaks, breakfasts, lunches and a networking party.

This is the first event focused exclusively on bringing the well-established U.S. oil and gas industry together with the nascent U.S. offshore wind industry.

Offshore oil and gas companies that have successfully entered the offshore wind industry such as Gulf Island Fabricators, Keystone Engineering, Blue Water Shipping and Montco, will be in attendance at the event to share their expertise.

Because of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, aka "The Jones Act," all marine activities related to the transport of goods conducted in U.S. waters must be done on U.S.-flag ships that were constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. This gives the offshore oil and gas industry a unique opportunity to enter a new line of business.

It is estimated that over the next decade, more than 20 U.S. offshore wind farms will be constructed, representing thousands of megawatts of power.

About PennWell:
Founded in 1910, PennWell Corporation is a privately held and highly diversified business-to-business media and information company that provides quality content and integrated marketing solutions for the following industries in addition to power delivery: oil and gas, electric power generation, hydropower, renewable energy, water and wastewater treatment, waste management, electronics, optoelectronics, fiberoptics, aerospace and avionics, LEDS and lighting, fire and dental. PennWell publishes over 130 print and online magazines and newsletters, conducts 60 conferences and exhibitions on six continents, and has an extensive offering of books, maps, websites, research and database services. In addition to PennWell's headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and other U.S. offices in major locations, the company has offices in London and Moscow.