Recent Milestones for the US Offshore Wind Industry

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On this page the USOWC outlines some of the significant milestones in the forward progress of the US offshore wind industry. The USOWC does not intend to provide a news service; for breaking news on a daily basis please see other sites such as offshorewind.biz and offshorewindwire.com.

Cape Wind Record of Decision

Secretary Salazar's favorable Record of Decision for Cape Wind is a milestone for the U.S. offshore wind industry. A press release covering the April 2010 decision is available here.

As of August 2010 the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities is debating acceptance of the long-term Power Purchase Agreement between Cape Wind and National Grid.

Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Consortium

In June 2010 the governors of 10 East Coast states signed an MOU with Secretary Salazar to create the Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Consortium. In the words of the Department of the Interior press release, this consortium will "promote the efficient, orderly, and responsible development of wind resources on the Outer Continental Shelf." The 10 participating states are Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Virginia. A regional office to support this new initiative will be located in Virginia.

DOI DOE MOU

On June 28, 2010, the Department of the Interior signed a MOU with the Department of Energy for the "coordinated deployment of offshore wind and marine and hydrokinetic energy technologies on the United States Outer Continental Shelf." The full MOU is available here.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement

On June 18, 2010, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) was officially renamed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Managment, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE). Michael Bromwich, a former Justice Department Inspector General, will lead the new BOEMRE. Click here for a press release.

South Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Infrastructure Development Compact

In 2009 the states of Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia created the South Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Infrastructure Development Compact. The agreement's purpose is to "study, develop, and promote coordinated research and planning of the design, construction, utility interconnection, financing, and operation of offshore wind energy infrastructure and operations directly adjacent to the shores of the party states.”

Perspectives on Progress

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The selected news articles below offer some additional insight on forces driving the US offshore wind industry as a whole.

Offshore Wind: Time for a Market Take-off?

Renewable Energy World | October 8, 2009

Offshore wind activity is experiencing significant growth now in terms of capacity installed. However, the industry is struggling with the costs of development, which have more doubled in 5 years. Read more >>

OFFSHORE WIND: States sharing the sea for new industry

ClimateWire | September 9, 2009

BOSTON -- Plans are brewing to promote a network of offshore wind farms all along the East Coast connected by a transmission "spine" and shared shipping ports where local turbines will embark for deepwater power fields over the horizon. Read more >>

Interior, FERC end feud on offshore renewable projects

New York Times | Greenwire | March 17, 2009

The Interior Department and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission agreed to work together to settle a longstanding conflict over which agency oversees offshore alternative energy, the Interior Department announced today. Read more >>

REpower assembles 6-MW offshore turbine

CompositesWorld | December 22, 2008

REpower Systems AG (Hamburg, Germany) announced on Dec. 19 that it has completed the assembly of the first three REpower 6M turbines in Bremerhaven. The wind turbines, which each have a rated output of 6 MW, are expected to be erected at the Westre civic wind farm on the German-Danish border. There, they will undergo a comprehensive testing program and checks for certification according to the DIBT classification. Read more >>

Can Offshore Grids Solve Our Wind Power Woes?

Popular Mechanics | December 11, 2008

The race is on for offshore wind power. The U.S. Department of Energy says that wind power, including offshore wind farms, could account for up to 20 percent of America's electricity generation by 2030. But while the United States scrambles to construct its first offshore wind farm, Europe has over two dozen farms already and is considering implementing huge interconnected offshore power systems to compensate for dying winds or overwhelming storms. Could a similar system work for the United States' huge coasts? PM asked the experts. Read more >>