OFFSHORE WIND GETS A ‘GO’

White House Sets Rules for Offshore Wind Farms
Christine Buurma, April 22, 2009 (Wall Street Journal)

"The Obama administration’s …Department of the Interior [DOI] announced a program to grant leases, easements and rights of way for the development of offshore wind farms. The [final rules program for offshore development]… also puts in place methods for sharing revenue from offshore renewable energy projects with coastal states…

"Mr. Obama and congressional Democrats have touted wind power and other renewable energy sources as an alternative to power plants that run on fossil fuels that emit the heat-trapping gases blamed for climate change. The U.S. currently has no offshore wind farms, and the few plans that have gotten some traction, such as a project for a farm off Cape Cod, Mass., have at times been met with fierce opposition from local residents…"

Lots of potential. (click to enlarge)

"The guidelines [are] from [DOI's] Minerals Management Service…MMS's final rule on offshore wind development came as the New York Power Authority said… it will partner with several public and private organizations to develop wind power projects off the coast of the Great Lakes."

A UK offshore installation. (click to enlarge)

"[Last month, DOI]… and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [FERC] resolved a longstanding regulatory dispute…Under the agreement, the MMS is responsible for rules governing the wind projects and FERC has approval over siting…[Secretary of the Interior] Salazar said in February that the Atlantic coast has "huge potential" for offshore wind energy production, possibly hinting at an area his department would consider in early lease auctions. Mr. Salazar also said the Southwest and Great Plains regions were of interest.

"A 2006 report by the Interior Department said wind energy in the U.S. outer continental shelf has the potential to generate 900,000 megawatts of power, roughly equal to total installed U.S. electrical capacity."