Offshore Wind Power
Offshore wind power involves harnessing wind energy using wind turbines located in oceanic environments, which are arranged in wind farms to generate electricity for consumer use. This method capitalizes on the unobstructed wind currents over water, making offshore wind farms approximately 20 percent more efficient than those on land. Denmark pioneered this technology with the world's first offshore wind farm in 1991, and since then, many countries, particularly in Europe, the United States, and Asia, have developed their own offshore wind capacities. By 2023, the U.S. had three operational offshore wind farms, with ongoing projects aiming to significantly increase output by 2030.
Modern turbines typically feature three blades and can be quite large, contributing to substantial energy production. While concerns exist regarding the visual impact of wind farms and their potential effects on marine life, studies indicate that these installations have minimal adverse effects on oceanic wildlife and pose little risk for maritime navigation. Public perception varies, with some communities supporting wind projects for their environmental benefits while others express concerns about their visual presence, highlighting the complex balance between renewable energy development and local interests. Overall, offshore wind power represents a significant opportunity for clean energy production as countries strive to meet growing energy demands sustainably.
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Offshore Wind Power
Offshore wind power refers to the use of specialized machines called "wind turbines," organized into wind farms located in the ocean, to generate electrical energy. Wind turbines transform the kinetic energy of moving wind currents into electrical energy, which can then be used for consumer electrical needs. Wind turbines can be used in any area with sufficient wind current, and the use of turbines or windmills to generate electricity was first invented in the 1880s. In 1991 Denmark became the first nation to construct an offshore wind farm. Due to a lack of obstructing objects that block wind currents, offshore wind farms have been shown to be 20 percent more efficient than their land-based counterparts. Offshore wind farms have since been constructed elsewhere in Europe, the United States, and Asia. By 2023, the United States had three wind farms in operation: Block Island Wind in Rhode Island; South Fork in Massachusetts and Rhode Island; and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind in Virginia. Many other wind farms were under construction in the country.
Background
The standard method of generating electricity is to harness the kinetic energy of a moving fluid (gas or liquid) to generate electrical currents. Various types of fluid currents can be used to spin the rotors of a turbine engine, including artificially created currents such as heat or smoke from petroleum combustion or steam from nuclear power facilities. Naturally occurring currents can also be used to power turbine engines, including water and wind currents. Wind and water currents are renewable sources of clean energy that do not produce pollutants, while nuclear and petroleum-powered turbines produce gases and other waste products that contribute to environmental degradation.
Professor James Blyth of Anderson’s College in Glasgow, Scotland, is credited with being the first to use a windmill to generate electricity, which he demonstrated in 1887. Similar experiments occurred in the United States around the same time. Denmark has been an international leader in the development of wind power, and the design used in the 1956 Gedser wind turbine remains the template for modern turbine design.
The 1970s oil embargo and energy crises inspired international development in alternative energy. By the 1980s, the United States was a global leader in wind energy. Between 1981 and 1990, for instance, sixteen thousand wind turbines were built in California. However, in the 1990s, alternative energy funding in the United States remained minimal while Europe moved ahead, becoming the leader in wind power research and installation.
Denmark, a leader in energy diversification, pioneered offshore wind technology, developing the world’s first offshore wind farm in 1991 near Vindeby, Denmark. The Vindeby wind farm consisted of eleven turbines located approximately two kilometers from shore and, due to the lack of obstruction, recorded 20 percent higher output than comparable onshore installations. Denmark constructed additional offshore wind farms in 2001 and 2002, and remained the global leader in offshore wind until 2014. China had become the global leader in wind energy by 2024. It produced three times as much wind energy as the United States, which ranked second.
The first proposal for an offshore wind power facility in the United States was the Cape Wind facility, proposed in 2001 and planned for construction off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The project, which would cost approximately $2.7 billion and provide 75 percent of the electrical needs of the Cape Cod region, was initially delayed by a complex approval process and public concern.
The primary objection to the Cape Wind project was that the turbines, though located 4.8 miles from shore, would ruin scenic views of the ocean. Between 78 and 95 percent of Massachusetts residents supported the project, according to public opinion polls conducted between 2007 and 2011. However, a small lobby of wealthy landowners delayed the project, filing more than twenty lawsuits through the local courts. In the 2007 book Cape Wind, journalists Robert Whitcomb and Wendy Williams characterized the controversy as a case in which a small wealthy minority had been able to overpower broad public support and environmental considerations. In March 2014 the Cape Wind project won in four cases that were brought against them, and two months later, an additional case was thrown out by the judge. At the same time, Cape Wind secured funding from several different sources to help with construction; however, the project was ultimately scrapped in 2017.
The United Kingdom built its first offshore wind facility, North Hoyle, in 2003. It consisted of thirty turbines located seven kilometers from the coast of Wales. Germany became the third country to establish offshore wind power in 2008, followed by China in 2010, with a thirty-four-turbine facility off the coast of Shanghai.
Offshore Wind Power Today
Wind turbines consist of a tall pole and a bladed rotor linked to an electrical generator that transforms the spinning of the bladed rotor into electrical energy. Early generators used rotors with as many as 144 blades, but research from Denmark’s Society of Wind Electricians in the early 1900s suggested that large turbines with only a few blades were most effective. Modern turbines usually have three-bladed rotors, with a diameter of 90 to 107 meters (295 to 351 feet) and sit on poles that are usually around 80 meters (262 feet) high.
By 2020, Europe had constructed more than 5,400 offshore turbines across twelve countries, with the combined capacity to provide 25 GW, and the rate of wind power installations exceeded that of oil-based power stations in Europe. By 2024, Europe had increased its offshore wind capacity to 34 GW. Denmark and Ireland were the European countries with the highest wind capacity, about 56 percent and 36 percent, respectively. Other European countries with a high wind capacity included Germany (31 percent), the United Kingdom (29 percent), and the Netherlands (27 percent).
By 2023, the United States had a combined offshore wind capacity of 42 megawatts (MW) but had set a target of having 30 gigawatts (GW), or 30,000 MW by 2030. This was an ambitious goal; generating 30,000 MW would require installing more than 2,000 additional turbines. Three wind farms were operational in the United States by 2023: Block Island Wind in Rhode Island; South Fork in Massachusetts and Rhode Island; and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind in Virginia. While still under construction, Vineyard Wind 1 in Massachusetts became operational in 2024. It was the nation's first large-scale wind farm. Five of the farm's planned 62 turbines were creating 68 MW. This was enough to provide power to about 30,000 homes.
Though opponents of offshore wind development have cited the potential for wind farms to disrupt or harm oceanic wildlife, studies in Europe have indicated that offshore wind farms have minimal effect on marine animals. Studies indicate that migratory oceanic wildlife, such as dolphins, seals, and whales, are able to navigate around wind farms without difficulty. Another concern has been the potential for accidents among commercial or recreational ships colliding with wind turbines, but studies have indicated minimal risk as the large size of wind turbines make the objects difficult for marines to miss.
The most significant opposition to the installation of offshore wind farms has been concern about the visual effects of wind turbines on oceanic vistas. The concept of "not in my backyard," or NIMBYism, has been used in reference to those who support a project in theory but do not want development to intrude into their own lives. In the United States, concern over the visual effect of offshore wind farms has delayed development for more than a decade. In other nations, though lobbies to preserve oceanic views have emerged, these interest groups have been outweighed by the environmental and social benefits of expanding wind energy. To address this issue, wind farm developers have suggested placing wind farms further from the shoreline or in areas where they are outside popular private or public view sheds.
Bibliography
"Offshore Wind Power Facts." American Clean Power, 2023, cleanpower.org/facts/offshore-wind/#:. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Plate, Tiffany. "Last Year in Review: Commercial Offshore Wind Energy Making Tangible Gains." National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): Transforming Energy, 21 Aug. 2024, www.nrel.gov/news/program/2024/commercial-offshore-wind-energy-making-tangible-gains.html. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
"Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About Offshore Wind Energy." Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, 21 Aug. 2024, www.energy.gov/eere/wind/articles/top-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-offshore-wind-energy. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
"Vineyard Wind, America’s First Large-Scale Offshore Wind Farm, Delivers Full Power from 5 Turbines to the New England Grid." Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Office of the Governor, 22 Feb. 2024, www.mass.gov/news/vineyard-wind-americas-first-large-scale-offshore-wind-farm-delivers-full-power-from-5-turbines-to-the-new-england-grid. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Woods, Bob. "US Has Only One Offshore Wind Energy Farm, but a $70 Billion Market Is on the Way." CNBC, 13 Dec. 2019, www.cnbc.com/2019/12/13/us-has-only-one-offshore-wind-farm-but-thats-about-to-change.html. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.