THE ABUNDANCE OF OFFSHORE WIND

Reaping Power From Ocean Breezes
Tom Zeller Jr., April 26, 2010 (NY Times)

"More than 800 giant wind turbines spin off the coasts of Denmark, Britain and seven other European countries, generating enough electricity from strong ocean breezes to power hundreds of thousands of homes. China’s first offshore wind farm, a 102-megawatt venture near Shanghai, goes online this month, with more in the pipeline.

"But despite a decade of efforts, not a single offshore turbine has been built in the United States…[P]rogress has been slowed by a variety of factors, including poor economics, an uncertain regulatory framework and local opposition…When the Obama administration announces a decision this week on the most prominent project — Cape Wind, off the coast of Massachusetts — it could have implications from Long Island to Lake Erie…[Rejection] could gut America’s [incipient] offshore wind industry…"

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"At least half a dozen offshore wind projects that could provide electricity for hundreds of thousands of customers have already been proposed in the shallow waters off the East Coast and the Great Lakes. Even more are in the paper-napkin stage, including a project that would place a bank of turbines about 13 miles off the Rockaway peninsula in New York.

"…[O]ffshore wind farms are roughly twice as expensive as land-based ones…[but] have several advantages. Sea and lake breezes are typically stronger, steadier and more reliable than wind on land. Offshore turbines can also be located close to the power-hungry populations along the coasts, eliminating the need for new overland transmission lines. And if the turbines are built far enough from shore, they do not significantly alter the view — a major objection from many local opponents."

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"The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has estimated that about 90,000 megawatts of electricity could be extracted from offshore winds in United States coastal waters less than 100 feet deep, the easiest and most cost-effective depths. Most of that potential lies in New England, the mid-Atlantic and the Great Lakes…[Planned projects] would produce some 2,500 megawatts…about as much as two midsize nuclear power plants…The Cape Wind project would place 130 turbines, each 440 feet tall, over 24 square miles of Nantucket Sound at a likely cost of more than $1 billion…

"…[P]roponents of the project, which include major environmental organizations like the Sierra Club and Greenpeace, point to a February study…suggesting that the project could save New England ratepayers $4.6 billion in energy costs over 25 years. They also say that the project has undergone two separate environmental impact analyses, neither of which found significant downsides…The governors of six East Coast states…called on Mr. Salazar to approve the project…Despite the upfront costs, proponents say offshore wind power is worth it if it can reduce the reliance on carbon-intensive sources of electricity like coal…"