A new study funded by the University of Delaware and Stanford University reports that offshore wind power could supply almost all of the East Coast’s energy needs. This is the first time a study has looked at just how much wind energy offshore farms could produce in this area of the country.

Wind power has had to fight some battles out East, most notably on Cape Cod, MA. There, some residents argue that the proposed offshore wind turbines would be visible from shore and ruin the area’s pristine view. I think global warming may take care of that job, anyway…

The study found that the most efficient area for offshore wind is a region called the Middle Atlantic Bight, which runs from Cape Cod, MA to Cape Hatteras, NC. The shallow water along this area would make it possible to put up a large amount of turbines. Current technology only allows turbines to be erected in water about 60 – 90 feet deep, although Scotland is experimenting with turbines in 150 feet of water. The study’s author, Willet Kempton, believes that some day soon wind power could pop up in as deep of water as 300 feet.

And that’s the depth the East Coast turbines would need in order to generate power efficiently. The study suggests that the installation of 160,000 turbines spread along the Bight area out to a depth of 300 feet would be more than enough power for the whole East Coast. Even better, this clean electricity would cut global warming pollution by 57 percent. Sound far fetched? Not to Kempton: “I think it’s a 100 percent probability [that this project will be built].”

Live Science

Many thanks to reader Perry Ruth for sending along this story about a great first for the Great Lakes.

The largest fresh water system in the world could soon see its very first wind turbine spinning. An Ohio taskforce of policymakers, businesses, and legal experts are proposing massive wind turbines that could power tens of thousands of homes (up to 20 megawatts) and spur economic development, research, and jobs.

A feasibility test will start with just four to ten turbines three miles out. They may be the first freshwater turbines in the world and the first offshore turbines in the United States.

The cost, as always, gives some pause. Tens of million of dollars and public subsidies may be needed to get the project off the ground. Shipping lanes and weather concerns like waves and ice will also have to be addressed. But this also represents a significant opportunity for the area, as Richard Steubi of the Cleveland Foundation told the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the wind farm could make the region a hub for off-shore wind power:

‘We could show industries worldwide we're serious about off-shore’ ventures.

Cleveland Plain Dealer