The Biden administration on Monday sought to kickstart the US offshore wind industry by setting a target of deploying 30 gigawatts of generation capacity — enough to power about 10m homes for a year — from turbines operating in coastal waters by 2030.

The White House said the target would allow it to pursue ambitious decarbonisation goals by driving more than $12bn a year in capital investment in the sector, while creating tens of thousands of jobs. The Department of Energy will provide access to $3bn in funding through a loan guarantee programme.

“This offshore wind goal is proof of our commitment to using American ingenuity and might to invest in our nation, advance our own energy security, and combat the climate crisis,” said Jennifer Granholm, US energy secretary.