The American government says planned increases in spending on offshore wind farms will help wean the country off foreign oil and help take better advantage of a vast renewable energy resource.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $180 million in funding for four new innovative offshore wind energy installations across the United States. These demonstration projects are designed to test the capability of offshore wind power to provide a viable alternative to fossil fuels.
The DOE says harvesting the strong and consistent wind in areas such as the Atlantic, Pacific, the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico can provide clean energy to coastal cities where much of the nation’s population and electricity demand lies. The Department states America’s offshore wind resources are massive; estimated to be “more than 4,000 gigawatts”.
“Developing all of our nation’s vast energy resources is an important part of President Obama’s blueprint for an American economy that uses all of America’s energy resources,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu when announcing the program. “The new offshore wind energy initiative announced today will help to catalyse the development of offshore wind in America, supporting U.S. innovators as they seek to design and demonstrate next generation wind energy technologies.”
Utility-scale solar power has become the Obama Administration’s technology of choice when it comes to congressional funding appropriations, with wind energy still described as an “emerging industry” by the DOE. However, evidence from Europe and the UK has shown offshore wind to be a proven winner in the renewable energy mix.
The $180 million will go towards addressing key challenges associated with installing utility-scale offshore wind turbines, connecting offshore turbines to the power grid and navigating new permitting and approval processes.
The DOE hopes to attract competitive bids by private contractors for a slice of the funding, which will cover up to 80 percent of each project’s design costs and 50 percent of the hardware and installation costs.
“These investments are critical to ensuring that America remains competitive in this growing global industry that can drive new manufacturing, construction, installation and operation jobs across the country,” Chu said.
Image credit: Tomasz Sienicki
