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<< Return to Page One But if you're an offshore wind supporter, there's room for hope in this country (and one reason to be a little depressed). Here's why.
Maryland: With its bigger than big ship building companies, steel mills and metal parts manufacturers, Maryland would seem more than able to support offshore wind – and supporters have promised that wind farms off the coast would bring thousands of jobs and an important source of power. But a couple of weeks ago, a major bill that would have given the state's offshore wind industry a serious boost died in the Senate Finance Committee, despite winning a healthy thumbs up from the House of Delegates in March.
Maybe the third time's the charm. Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley said he would try again next year to get a bill passed.
New Jersey: The state's environmental regulators issued environmental permits for Fishermen's Energy to build a demonstration 6-turbine wind farm near Atlantic City. According to Sustainable Business, the Fishermen's Energy Offshore Wind Project will in four years be followed up with a utility-scale project 12 miles offshore. And New Jersey does appear to be in a race with Virginia. "There are no operating offshore wind farms in America yet; this can be a first for New Jersey and the country," said Daniel Cohen, president of Fishermen's Energy. The company was created by New Jersey commercial fishermen as a response to the need to develop offshore wind, and at the same time protect the fishing industry.
Rhode Island/Massachusetts: The almost 165,000-acre Wind Energy Area (WEA) identified off the coast of Rhode Island and Massachusetts has been getting a lot of attention lately. DOI's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will conduct an environmental assessment to identify any impacts that could result from future wind farm leases in the area. DOI has already excluded important commercial fishing grounds from the WEA, but assuming the environmental assessment goes well, BOEM could begin leasing blocks of the area for wind farms. Issues range from vessel traffic, the presence of the endangered Atlantic Right Whale and visual and cultural resources like shipwrecks. Deepwater Wind has already proposed 1 gigawatt wind farm in the area, and supports the decision to exclude commercial fishing grounds.
Texas: Yes, Texas is getting in on the act too. The Army Corps of Engineers is getting ready for an environmental assessment of two of the three areas off the south Texas coast where Austin company Baryonyx wants to install wind farms of 200 turbines each. The study should be done by the end of 2014. While there have been concerns about birds and sea life from environmental groups, Baryonyx said it plans to lessen impact on the sea bed by routing electric cables through areas that have already been disturbed and locations where there is no critical habitat, like reefs.
Obviously, most U.S. projects are in their infancy. They've got a long way to go and there is an unimaginable number of things that could change before, during and after the assessments and siting and permitting processes are over.
Even though Europe's success with offshore wind can provide guidance and encouragement, it's vaguely surprising that so many here think so much of a technology that is untested in this country – and that they're willing to spend the years and millions of dollars it will take to get turbines in the water. It does seem to suggest that, finally, we're getting serious about clean, sustainable, renewable energy – and maybe even willing to risk our necks to get it.
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