WIND-WAVE SYNERGY

Wind, waves, and watts
January 4, 2009 (Boston Globe)

“…A new wrinkle in the proposal by Grays Harbor Ocean Energy Company, of Washington state, is that the supports anchoring each wind turbine platform to the ocean floor would be designed in a way to turn wave action into electricity as well…this feature serves two purposes: It increases the likelihood that its platforms will be producing power even when winds are still, and it qualifies the initial stages of the project for review by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission instead of the Minerals Management Service of the Department of the Interior…Congress should resolve the disparity as soon as possible. It should also facilitate all offshore energy projects by granting the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration increased funds for seabed surveys…

One version of many wind-water combo concepts. (click to enlarge)

“If Grays Harbor gets its preliminary permit from FERC, it will be able to deploy a platform with a meteorological tower at its proposed site 12 to 17 miles south of Nantucket. This will provide the wind and wave data it needs to determine if the project is feasible. Another site being looked at is south of Block Island…Each site could produce up to 1,000 megawatts, about the output of the Seabrook nuclear plant, and an average of 400…”