Page 14 - North American Clean Energy January February 2014

wind power

US Offshore Wind

Global collaboration is key
By Michael Rosenfeld | Photos courtesy of London Array Limited

THE UNITED STATES’ STRONG PRESENCE in onshore wind power, but its surprising lack of UK government recently established
Beneits of offshore wind
ofshore wind projects has been well noted over the last couple of years (I even wrote an an Ofshore Wind Investment

According to the Global Wind Energy article about it for this publication in 2011). Even as countries such as the United Kingdom Organization (OWIO) to help
Council, some of the key beneits of offshore have proven ofshore wind to be a viable market, the US has been slower to gain the same promote inward investment.
ground in potential project development.
he government has also
wind are that it can provide:
Fast-forward a couple of years, and progress has been made. Granted, today the US still introduced a new inancing
• A greater wind resource, generating more
doesn’t have any operational ofshore wind farms, but a true North American market
mechanism called Contracts for
energy from fewer turbines;
is slowly emerging. And, the opportunity has never been greater for this country to Diference (CfDs), which provides
collaborate with the UK—which currently ranks as world leader in ofshore wind—to fully stable, government-backed pricing,
• Enough space for a large-scale project
without the high property costs or invest in this nascent market.
to help ofshore wind and other low-
constraints related to the surrounding area carbon energy developers secure the
Bolstering capacity
necessary upfront capital investment
(such as on land); and
Although the United States has been working to remove barriers and pursue ofshore wind needed to kick-start a new project.
• Proximity to major demand centers, which
capacity, across the pond the UK has continued to make signiicant strides in bolstering its With this type of support, UK
translates into shorter transmission lines capacity. he UK currently leads the world in ofshore wind with as much capacity already ofshore wind capacity could reach
(compared to those required in many installed as the rest of the world combined. And, the industry is still growing.
18 gigawatts (GW) by 2020 and
Case in point: the London Array, which is the world’s largest ofshore wind farm, provide 17% of the UK’s electricity
onshore wind farms).
opened in the hames Estuary in July of 2013. he project boasts 175 turbines capable of (source: www.renewableuk.com).
www.gwec.net
producing enough electricity to power nearly 500,000 homes. Move over to the coast of
Essex, and one can ind another example of ongoing progress at DONG Energy’s Gunleet Local efforts
Sands wind farm. Here, a recently added demonstration project is the irst one in UK In spite of the fact that the United

waters, consisting of two giant, 219-meter high, six-megawatt (MW) wind turbines.
States still lacks a cohesive policy to support the ofshore industry, there are still reasons
According to a recent RenewableUK study, ofshore wind capacity grew by a record 79% to be optimistic about the US market. he University of Maine, for example, completed the
from July 2012 to June 2013 alone. So, why has the UK’s progress been so accelerated, irst demonstration project in US waters this year, becoming the irst organization to send
particularly when compared with the US?
electrons from an ofshore wind turbine into the power grid in June 2013. In addition,

the US now has a regulatory and leasing process for use of ofshore waters by wind energy
Committed to progress
developers.
he United Kingdom has favorable odds when it comes to ofshore wind projects. For he Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), which overseas this process, is
starters, they have ample natural resources not only in terms of ofshore wind itself, now gathering information for developers who may be interested in leasing sites. On July

but also in terms of experience working in harsh environments through the oil and gas 31st 2013, BOEM auctioned the Rhode Island/Massachusetts Wind Energy Area, which
industry (although non-renewable, these industries do provide valuable, transferable represented the nation’s irst competitive lease sale. he commercial lease sale for Virginia
skills).
Wind Energy Area was held this past September.
Perhaps the biggest success factor, however, is the UK government’s support of the he market in the UK has found success because of a variety of factors including policy,

ofshore industry. In addition to designating tens of thousands of miles around UK shores natural resources, and domestic expertise in ofshore engineering. But, it’s worth noting
as exclusive zones for energy companies to lease and develop new ofshore wind farms, the
that the UK didn’t build that market by itself. Companies from around the world, with

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014