The oil spill is not just a national disaster, it is also a sign that the US and rest of the world needs to end their dependence on fossil fuels. While many European countries have already integrated renewable energy into their energy grid, the US has been slow to take the first step. Recently, however, many states have begun pushing for cleaner energy in the form  of offshore windfarms.

The project that inspired other states to push for offshore windfarms was the Cape Wind project. The project is the first offshore windfarm with federal approval in North America. It is located off of the coast of Cape Cod. While the plans have been passed around for nearly a decade, it wasn’t until April 2010 that it actually was greenlit. According to the project website, Cape Wind will consist of 130 wind turbines (brought down from the original 170) all measuring around 258 feet tall and can potentially produce up to 486 MW of power, providing around 75% of Cape Cod and the Islands energy. It will be completed by 2012 and is supposed to be the first offshore windfarm in North America, though other states, most notably in New Jersey, Rhode Island and Maine, are hoping to take that title away from Massachussetts.

New Jersey
Right behind Cape Wind (CW) is the New Jersey windfarm projected. Approved in 2008 in accordance to the New Jersey Energy Master Plan (NJEMP) to reduce emissions by 20%, the project may just become the first offshore windfarm to be built in North America. Unlike Cape Wind (CW), the New Jersey windfarms received far less opposition in part because of its location. Cape Cod is noted as a national treasure and many residents view these windfarms as a nuisance (a case of the Not In My BackYard AKA NIMBY) since it will obstruct the ocean view, potentially harm wildlife and affect tourism being only 4.8 miles from Mashpee and 15.8 miles from Nantucket. New Jersey has a far different view of windfarms and has actually commercialized them, offering them as tourist locations. Elaine Zamansky, a spokeswoman for the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority states, “People do stop. I’m not sure there would be any objection to more of them off shore” [Source: nj.com] .One approved NJ farm proposed by Garden State Offshore Energy, a joint venture between Deepwater Wind, of Hoboken, and PSEG Renewable Generation and:

• is located 16-20 miles off the coast of Atlantic City,
• contains around 96 turbines
• produces 346 megawatts of electricty (enough to power more than ten thousand homes) [Source: NY Times].

Two other projects are also on the table, one of which is located further offshore in federal waters, and one located in state waters around 10 miles off the coast.

1. NRG Bluewater Wind of Princeton proposed a 348-megawatt project more than 13 miles out, with 80 to 100 turbines.
2. Fishermen’s Energy of Cape May is planning a 350-megawatt wind farm some 10 miles out to sea. [Source: nj.com]

While the NIMBY problem is solved, one of the main issues concerning any windfarms is its effect on the wildlife and environment. A two year study concerning these matters recently reported that any environmental impact from these windfarms would be negligible. The study covered a 1,360 square nautical miles off the coast between Seaside Park and North Wildwood, and mapped out the region’s environmental sensitivity based on migratory patterns, critical habitats, volume of creatures, salinity, temperature and more [Source: philly.com].

Rhode Island
While Cape Cod struggles to get their residents on board with the project, the government of Rhode Island is pushing their project ahead. While construction was slated to begin in 2010, issues over building cost and expensive energy cost has put this on the backburner. According to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the price of the electricity being supplied by these turbines, nearly double that of the standard price in Rhode Island, was too high to be deemed commercially viable. This led to new legislation that not only narrows the time it takes for developers and utility companies to approve a power purchase agreement (PPA), it also forces the PUC to compare the cost of the proposed project against itself [Source: Treehugger]. The proposed project was to initially begin with 8 turbines that would supply 20MW of energy and eventually increase to 100 that could supply around 15% of Rhode Island’s electricity. This is part of Rhode Island’s renewable energy mandate of 20% renewable energy by 2020 [Source: The Daily Green]. Development was to begin in 2010 and be completed by 2012, though the rejection of the Deepwater Wind and National Grid PPA slowed down construction. Still, Governer Carcieri signed a PPA between Deepwater Wind and Narragansett Electric June 2010. This new legislation caps the price of wind at 24.4 cents/kW (double normal RI energy prices), though the new law also requires Deepwater Wind to disclose its construction and development costs. Any savings made during development would be passed on to ratepayers [Source: The Providence Journal]. The project will be located off of Quonset Point and should be fully operational by 2012.

Ohio
Who said that windfarms had to be erected in the middle of the ocean. Should Ohio finish their windfarm first, it would not only be the first offshore windfarm in the US, it would also be the first freshwater one. The Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo), for the past two years, has been researching the feasability of wind farms in Lake Erie and has recently partnered with General Electrics (GE) to begin building the wind turbine. According to the study, the wind power in the Great Lakes region alone could produce 321,936 megawatts, about 10 times the energy from all sources combined [Source: Alternative Energy News]. According to the NorTech site (a partner of the LEEDCo conglomerate), the project will initially begin with a 20 MW windfarm off the shores of Cleveland and is tageted for completion by 2012. The project will continue until 2020 at which point it will generate 1,000 MW powering over 16,000 homes. The wind turbines themselves are also different from standard ones as they are gearless and alleged to be more efficient. They also contain three 176-foot long blades that are lighter and contain carbon fibre. These blades run with the help of a giant ring of magnets and also allow the turbine to generate power even at low speeds. Many moving parts like gearbox, coils and starter brushes are eliminated with resultant reduced maintenance [Source: Alternative Energy News].

Other states have also looked into offshore windfarms including Maine, which would be the largest offshore wind project in North America. The University of Maine has recently received $20 million the U.S. Department of Energy [Source: Maine Public Broadcasting Network] and Maine voters approved a $11 million bond proposal for wind technology. Scientists and developers have already begun testing floating platform designs that can support 300-foot towers with 200-foot blades. These would be located in waters up to 3,000 feet deep more than 20 miles offshore [Source: Bangor Daily News].

This tragic event in the Gulf has forced many people in the US to look for viable alternative forms of energy. This onset of offshore windfarm approvals is a step in the right direction and if used in conjunction with other types of renewable energy (solar, geothermal), could significantly reduce our need for fossil fuels. The tragedy in the Gulf need not be in vain if everyone realizes the need to change.