Obama administration to invest $50 million in wind energy projects

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Brandi Colander’s Blog

A National Offshore Wind Strategy: Is Virginia the 'Offshore Wind Energy Capital of the East Coast'?

Today, the Department of Interior and the Department of Energy jointly announced updates to the Administration’s “Smart from the Start” offshore wind initiative in the form of a new plan- A National Offshore Wind Strategy: Creating an Offshore Wind Industry in the United States. This plan is very encouraging for renewable energy in America. Here are three highlights from this announcement made in my native state, Virginia:

1) DOE and DOI are releasing a joint national offshore wind plan designed to harness the resources of both agencies and integrate their respective research and development and permitting processes responsibilities respectively, in a more streamlined manner. This plan goes beyond partisanship and is designed to help meet President Obama’s goal of generating 80% of the Nation’s electricity from clean energy resources by 2035.

2) DOI announced grant funding availability, totaling $50 million, for three offshore wind research projects over five years.

3) Based on feedback from state task forces, DOI is initiating a regional Environmental Assessment of offshore wind in the Mid-Atlantic region (Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey), to be posted shortly in the Federal Register. A similar plan will be created for Massachusetts, Rhode Island, North Carolina and perhaps New York and Maine in upcoming months. These assessments will assist with offshore wind development and WEAs (wind energy areas) that are designed to identify ideal areas for siting these projects. DOI plans to identify WEAs off of North Atlantic states in March.

NRDC is glad to see that there is continued movement forward on clarifying the regulatory process for this technology. Both Secretary Salazar and Chu emphasized the need to diversify our energy supply and stimulate economic revitalization through offshore wind. We are also encouraged to hear leadership speak directly to the need for our country to take the lead on clean energy and create manufacturing bases to enable these technological advancements here at home. Furthermore, the Administration’s announcement and tone today indicates their acute awareness of the costs associated with ensuring the viability of this renewable resource. There also appears to be a sincere interest in ensuring that offshore wind is a cost effective resource, that does not require long-term subsidies but a technology that is able to compete with alternatives. This is particularly important when the cost of energy options are adequately compared and all externalities are accounted for, it is only then that we start to see how the cost of renewable energy technologies like offshore wind can offer more predictable costs without the impacts to our health and environment caused by traditional fuels.

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[Art_from_Ark]

1. Are there any studies on wind farms that are already in existence?

I'm thinking in particular about two that I have seen-- South Point on the island of Hawaii, and the wind farm near the Lawrence Livermore Labs in California.