Offshore wind farms are producing energy in Europe. The population density there limits the availability of on-land wind sites; fortunately, the coastlines in areas like the United Kingdom have large regions of shallow waters that are suitable for operating offshore wind farms. The European energy industry has constructed offshore wind farms on a significant scale. Moreover, there is strong government support for the offshore wind industry. According to the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), wind accounted for 43 percent of the continent’s new electricity generating capacity in 2008.
Finding available offshore space for wind farms proves more challenging in the United States. The costs associated with connecting an offshore wind farm to the electrical transmission grid on land rise significantly as a site is positioned farther offshore and farther from critical shoreside interconnection locations. Most of the focus to date has been on the northern end of the U.S. eastern seaboard, particularly around the coastal areas of New England.
North Carolina offers the superb offshore wind resources necessary for a productive offshore wind farm. It is our belief that an efficient and effective project can be completed off our coast.
The reason why the coastal winds are energetic becomes apparent when looking at some basic oceanography. The Gulf Stream follows the outer edge of the Continental Shelf along the East Coast, from Florida to Cape Hatteras. The shelf is wide across northern Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. But as one enters North Carolina, the shelf narrows considerably, allowing the warm Gulf Stream to flow closer to the coastline. Since warm Gulf Stream water has an amplifying effect on the low-level winds much of the time, the Stream’s position close to the North Carolina coast helps provide for more energetic winds there.
Most wind power experts agree that the available coastal areas between Massachusetts and the North Carolina-South Carolina border are of the highest quality for offshore wind farm placement. This area has the potential to generate hundreds of gigawatts of electrical power for a region that consumes almost a quarter of the nation’s electricity. The newly-formed Outer Banks Ocean Energy Corporation (OBOE) has identified regions along the North Carolina coast with wind capacity comparable to those areas in Europe successfully operating offshore wind farms. By many studies, the North Carolina winds are among the most favorable for energy production.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s report that wind power can supply 20 percent of the nation’s electricity by 2030 suggests an aggressive growth strategy for offshore wind. With the government’s recent policy shifts, there has been an influx of exploratory leases, including those in New Jersey and Delaware. Thanks to an offshore environment highly conducive to wind production, North Carolina has a tremendous opportunity to set the pace and standard for an American Wind Energy Renaissance.
August 15th, 2009 at 12:55 am
The Transmission Access Group conducted a study about moving electricity from offshore. What was the result?
August 20th, 2009 at 8:58 am
Jim,
Are you referring to the Transmission Access Policy Study Group (TAPS) – Effective Solutions for Getting Needed Transmission Built At Reasonable Cost Study?
August 24th, 2009 at 8:41 am
[...] electricity to North Carolina while seeing a considerable reduction in our environmental footprint. As we have mentioned before, North Carolina has a unique opportunity to host an offshore wind farm in suitable conditions; the [...]
January 8th, 2010 at 8:08 am
[...] locations for our offshore wind farm. We are pleased to see that the UNC study’s findings reinforce our conclusions about the feasibility of offshore wind power in North Carolina. Using this study, we will be able [...]