The Heronemus Award for Outstanding Achievement in Offshore Wind honors an individual who has contributed significantly to the expansion of offshore wind energy. Named in honor of William Edward Heronemus (1920 – 2002), the “father of modern wind power,” it recognizes an individual’s leadership, dedication, and unwavering perseverance to accelerate the offshore wind industry.
Bill Heronemus was the inventor of products and terms today considered the backbone of offshore wind. He served in the Navy during World War II and received a Bronze Star for his service. Following the war, he attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, receiving an M.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and worked for the Navy for nearly 20 years until he retired in 1965. Soon after, he established the Ocean Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts. During his decades-long tenure at the University, he advocated for the advance of “grand scale” renewables to replace fossil fuel and nuclear energy, saying, “Renewable energy is mandatory for the future of mankind. Wind energy is one of the best sources, and the technology already exists to tap it.”
The Heronemus Award for Outstanding Achievement in Offshore Wind honors an individual who has contributed significantly to the expansion of offshore wind energy. Named in honor of William Edward Heronemus (1920 – 2002), the “father of modern wind power”, it recognizes an individual’s leadership, dedication, and unwavering perseverance to accelerate the offshore wind industry.
Bill Heronemus was the inventor of products and terms today considered the backbone of offshore wind. He served in the Navy during World War II and received a Bronze Star for his service. Following the war, he attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, receiving an M.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and worked for the Navy for nearly 20 years until he retired in 1965. Soon after, he established the Ocean Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts. During his decades-long tenure at the University, he advocated for the advance of “grand scale” renewables to replace fossil fuel and nuclear energy, saying, “Renewable energy is mandatory for the future of mankind. Wind energy is one of the best sources, and the technology already exists to tap it.”
This award is nominated and selected by a closed panel of judges. We are not accepting nominations for this category. As the highest award given by the Business Network, the Heronemus Award honors an individual who exhibits remarkable leadership, displays dedication to the advancement of the offshore wind industry, and whose achievements have accelerated offshore wind market and supply chain opportunities.
2021 Heronemus Award
Bill Heronemus
2022 Heronemus Award
Gina Raimondo – U.S. Secretary of Commerce
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At the Oceantic Network, formerly known as the Business Network for Offshore Wind, our driving purpose is to inform, coordinate, and mobilize human ingenuity, enterprise, and labor to take advantage of the urgent need to tap the vast renewable energy resources that lie offshore in the world’s oceans. The collective, coordinated efforts of our members equip communities and nations to accelerate the transition to clean energy and create economic opportunities.
November 9, 2023
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