USA - Atlantic states lag behind Europe and China in offshore wind

According to a report released by National Wildlife Federation, referring to the up to 6GW of offshore wind projects proposed along the Atlantic coast, major data gaps for the Atlantic Ocean still exist and site-specific impacts need to be evaluated.

A coordinated, comprehensive, and well-funded effort is needed to address these gaps and improve the permitting process, says the report.

Of the 6 GW total, approximately half of the offshore wind projects have taken concrete steps forward on issues such as leasing, permitting, and power contracts. Specifically, 2.84 – 3.25 GW of offshore wind projects have been proposed while an additional 2.47 – 3.22 GW of projects are advancing.

The report highlighted that the vast wind resources of the Atlantic Ocean have not been tapped. In contrast, European countries have 948 turbines installed at 43 offshore wind farms and are producing over 2.3 GW. This report calls on government and stakeholders to create the political climate and economic conditions necessary to jumpstart the offshore wind industry in the Atlantic Ocean. The report says Atlantic states already lag behind Europe and China. The race, however, is far from over. States up and down the Atlantic coast have just joined the race: wind monitoring buoys are being deployed in South Carolina; Cape Wind in Massachusetts has its critical federal approvals; and Maine has broken ground on a deepwater testing facility.

Some of the key findings include:
* The European Union and China’s offshore wind goals dwarf those of the US. The European Union and the European Wind Energy Association have set a target of 40 GW of offshore wind by 2020 and 150 GW by 2030. China has established a target of 30 GW of offshore wind by 2020. The US Department of Energy recently proposed the development of 10 GW of offshore wind by 2020 and 54 GW by 2030.

* At over 212 GW of prime offshore wind potential, the Atlantic Ocean can become a major source of clean energy. A September, 2010, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) report classified 1,283.5 GW of total potential offshore wind in the Atlantic Ocean. NREL further classifies 212.98 GW of offshore wind potential in shallow waters with high wind speeds after environmental and socioeconomic factors are taken into account.

* Every state with significant offshore wind resources from Maine to Georgia has some taken some steps forward on offshore wind. Northern states (Maine to Maryland) have the most advanced projects while Southern states (Virginia to Georgia) are quickly mobilising on a series of projects.

* The Atlantic’s shallow water characteristics combined with excellent wind speed make it an ideal location for offshore wind farms. 93% (42 out of the 45) of offshore wind projects worldwide are in shallow waters (zero to 30 meters deep). Close to half of the United States’ shallow water offshore wind is along the Atlantic coast.

For more information on this article or if you would like to know more about what www.windfair.net can offer, please do not hesitate to contact Trevor Sievert at ts@windfair.net

www.windfair.net is the largest international B2B Internet platform – ultimately designed for connecting wind energy enthusiasts and companies across the globe!