NEW JERSEY OCEAN WIND MOVES AHEAD

Fishermen's Energy taking first steps to developing offshore wind farm
Katie Eder, December 7, 2011 (NJBiz)

"…[R]enewable offshore wind energy could power a substantial part of the New Jersey coastline by 2013. The latest energy master plan, finalized by the Chris Christie administration…supports the potential for offshore wind development, but the Board of Public Utilities requires a year’s worth of actual wind measurements before it can approve the installation of turbine equipment at a specific site — and Atlantic City offshore wind energy developer Fishermen’s Energy is aiming to get that data stat.

"Last month, a group of Fishermen’s engineers from Lockheed Martin installed a wind measurement device — typically used to detect wind hazards for military defense, meteorological research and airports…With the readings from the equipment, known as the WindTracer, Fishermen’s hopes to get BPU approval to develop the country’s first offshore wind farm 2.8 miles off the coast of Atlantic City."

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"…Rich Dunk, alternative energy applications director for Rutgers University, said the WindTracer is potentially ‘the most cost-effective monitoring technology for offshore wind resource assessments, (and) will enhance the accuracy and reliability of offshore weather forecasts…While Fishermen’s has installed and maintained a series of meteorological towers onshore at a cost of more than $6 million, the WindTracer’s price is considerably cheaper, at less than $2 million. The equipment’s accuracy in measuring wind speed and direction is also sizable, taking 300-foot samples within a 20-mile range every few minutes.

"…Christie supports offshore wind power because it has the potential to create long-term economic benefits for New Jersey…[H]e signed the Offshore Wind Economic Development Act, which calls for 1,100 megawatts of wind energy installed by the end of 2012. With its WindTracer equipment and meteorological towers, Fishermen’s has begun to develop a demonstration offshore wind farm that will produce 25 megawatts of energy…[Next is funding] to cultivate full-scale wind energy — and make New Jersey the leader in offshore wind power within two years."