The United States continues to struggle to launch their offshore wind sector. It has taken years to get the Cape Wind project off of Massachusetts, expected to be the nation’s first offshore wind farm, to be finalized and approved, only to have it meet continual legal battles. The project has yet to be constructed and it is not yet known when the wind farm will be operational.
Despite the slow establishment of the offshore wind sector, the U.S. has considerable potential in the arena. States are currently rallying to become the first state to have an official operational offshore wind farm, with states from New Jersey to Virginia attempting to establish wind projects. When projects in these areas become reality they will only be tapping what experts believe is a small portion of the offshore potential in the U.S..
According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, offshore wind energy could contribute approximately 4,150 gigawatts of energy yearly. As of 2009, the U.S. only generated 1,025 gigawatts of energy overall according to the Department of Energy. Which means the U.S. essentially could generate four times as much necessary energy to run the country with offshore wind alone. Such a scenario is extremely unlikely but the potential to tap such considerable energy is certainly positive for renewable energy in the U.S..
Areas which would generate the greatest amount of energy would be the northeast and northwest coastlines. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that these regions average approximately twenty miles per hour in wind speed and have overall favorable conditions. Offshore wind energy is also considered more reliable as wind is more consistent. However, onshore wind energy generation is currently cheaper.
While the northwestern and northeastern coastlines were considered most favorable, environmental assessments would be required to ascertain the likelihood of offshore wind placement. Many endangered species live and migrate along the northwestern coast especially and may interfere with approval. However, despite these concerns the potential for acceptable offshore wind energy is still quite high.
