Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2022

June 23, 2022

The President. I want to say to the press, we have an impressive group of Governors, labor leaders, and business leaders in the room here, but I'm not going to take the time to introduce everybody right now.

But let me just say thatâat the outset hereâthat, you knowâCabinet members, as wellâ that I think we're at a place where we've reached an exciting point where it seems like there's been a coalescence of the notion that, you know, alternative energy makes sense, and wind is a gigantic piece of it.

I was in Colorado, and I actuallyâI never thought I'd see a blade for a windmill that was 102 yards long. And you could literally pick up the end of it, it wasâI mean, the technology is changing so incredibly.

But look, you know, we're going to deepen our partnership on offshore wind as well as climate overall, and create jobsâgood jobs, union jobs.

And I apologize, I'm always talking about unions, but the reason I talk about it, not a joke, is because they have the single most qualified workers in the world. I mean, they're the best trained. Theyâit's like going to college. You've got a 4-year apprenticeship. You know, you're getting paid a little bit when you're doing it, but it's a lot of work. And I just think it's reallyâyou know, building trade jobs, steel jobs, manufacturing jobs. And you know, it's not just about the future, it's about right now.

This isâwe'reâI think we'reâwe've gone beyondâwe've been talking about this a long time. We talked about this a long time. And it's theâand inâthe last administration tried to block offshore wind because they thought it might cause cancer. Not a joke. But they actuallyâ that's what the last guy said. But it had nothing to do with that. What it had to do with is, they just didn't want to invest in alternative energy.

And I might addâand I mean this sincerelyâabout labor: Before Iâwhen I was running, I made sure to go to all the major labor unions and tell them what my environmental plan was and why. And when I think "climate," when I think "environment," I think "jobs." Jobs. And thisâ these are good-paying jobs, and they're making a big, big difference.

And my administration set bold targets to start with: 30 gigawatts by 2030. That's 10 million homesâ10 million homesâwith offshore wind. Ports turned back into economic engines, being in a position where foundries and factories are up and runningâagain, creating jobs. And a more resilient grid, harnessing technologies like battery storage.

And by the way, I know you all know it, but I'm not sure everybody in the country knows it: The technology is changing so rapidly on battery technology. It's just astounding what I predict you're going to see in the next 2 to 10 years, I mean, in terms of technological changes.

And this is a real boost for our energy security. It really changes the creation ofâand jobs, and it cuts consumer cost. And we've approved more project, we've had record-setting lease sales, and we pushed the community investment project labor agreements and domestic inâand the domestic supply chains in ways that hasn't occurred before.

We've shown that we're both open for business, and it's meant millions of privateâit's meant billions in private capital, like companies that are here around this table as well. And that's meant States are doubling down, like the Governors in this room and on the screen. And together, you know, we're stepping up, like union workers are in this room as well.

And you know, I don't think we could have had this meeting 4 years agoânot because of previousâI mean, it's just so much has changed. There's business, labor, and Governors, all coming together in ways that we weren't before. And so I just think that it's meant workers and communities stepping up. And together, we're about to build a better America. I really mean that, an even better America.

And I just wanted to stop by and thank everybody. And I might note what one of my staff members said earlier, before Iâwhen I was, earlier in the afternoon, talking about this. And that is that we're in a position where, you know, if you take aâdo you have thatâwhere is the staff that has that printout of the size of theseâwould you mind bringing that up to me?

This I show everybody I can, and you've all seen it. Youâthis table knows. When we're talking aboutââ

[*At this point, a White House aide handed a document to the President.*]

This is the rendering of the Empire State Building. This is the Eiffel Tower. This is the average onshore turbine, 460 feet. This is the tallest onshore turbine, 540 feet. This is the new GE Haliade-X 835-foot offshore wind project on Block Island. Look how tall it is. Almost up to theâ[*laughter*]â853 feet.

And there's a reason why this is important, as you all know, but I want the press to knowâis that the wind that far out in the ocean is always blowing. It's not like it's just every once in a while, like you'd wait on shore, where we have to deal with battery storage, storing technology, et cetera. It's always blowing. And it can produce as much energy as a coal mine, as much energy as an oil, you know, wellâwells. I mean, it's justâand it's clean, and it's real, and it's continuous.

And so I just want to thank you all for all you're willing to do, and particularly the private companies who are stepping up here. And it's big time. We're stepping up, and we're talking billions of dollars. We're not just talking a little bit of money; we're talking billions of dollars. And I think we're going to get a lot done.

And I can't tell you the last time I've been this excited about something we're about to do, because I think we can changeâliterally begin to change the nature of how we generate industryâexcuse meâgenerate energy. And the industry is stepping up.

And by the way, I'm notâI'm going to get going too much. [*Laughter*] Because I'm a little excited about it.

U.S. Supreme Court Decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen

Q. Mr. President, are you disappointed in the gun decision?

The President. Am I disappointed in theâwell, I'll answer this one question. And I was just talking to the Governor of New York about this.

I am disappointed in the Supreme Court gun decision. There is one little bit of solace. And the minority making up the majority opinion has laid out that it affects not every State; it affects only 40 States. A lot of States it affects.

And the phrase that I found noticeable was: There's a difference between States that say "may" and theyâsay "shall." If you have to say you "shall" give, you "shall" do ABC, they're the

ones that are going to have problems. But most say "may." I mean, "may"âI've got it reversedâ "may" and "shall."

And so there areâthe gun laws in 40 of these States are still in place based on the decision.

Not good enough, but it'sâI think it's a bad decision. I think it'sâand I think it's not reasoned accurately. But I'm disappointed.

Q. Do youââ

Q. Does this meanââ

The President. Thank you.

NOTE: The President spoke at 3:24 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to former President Donald J. Trump; and Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul of New York.

Categories: Addresses and Remarks : Federal-State offshore wind implementation partnership, meeting; Interviews With the News Media : Exchanges with reporters :: White House.

Locations: Washington, DC.

Names: Hochul, Kathleen C.; Trump, Donald J.

Subjects: Economy, national : Strengthening efforts; Employment and unemployment : Job creation and growth; Energy : Alternative and renewable sources and technologies :: U.S. production; Energy : Alternative and renewable sources and technologies :: Promotion efforts; Energy : Infrastructure and grid improvements; Energy : Solar and wind energy; Judiciary : Supreme Court :: New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, decision; Labor issues : Unions :: Labor movement and organized labor; Law enforcement and crime : Gun control; New York : Governor.

DCPD Number: DCPD202200551.