This paper presents an overview of the status of offshore wind energy development in the United States. It includes an overview of the research conducted at the University of Massachusetts in the early 1970s on large floating offshore systems and designs for offshore systems sited in the Great Lakes. It also presents a summary of the present US work on offshore energy, including the most recent work in New England as well as national and regional efforts to define the potential offshore wind energy resource. Also included is a review of the regulatory and permitting issues that must be addressed for offshore wind energy systems development. The paper concludes with a summary of current commercial and developmental activities in the US.