Large-Scale Offshore Wind Power in the United States ASSESSMENT of OPPORTUNITIES and BARRIERS
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Large-Scale Offshore Wind Power in the United States ASSESSMENT OF OPPORTUNITIES AND BARRIERS September 2010 NOTICE This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government. Neither the United States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof. 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Large-Scale Offshore Wind Power in the United States ASSESSMENT OF OPPORTUNITIES AND BARRIERS September 2010 NREL/TP-500-40745 Authors: Walter Musial, NREL Bonnie Ram, Energetics Acknowledgements The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) would like to acknowledge the experts in the wind community, too numerous to mention, that have played an important role in the publication of this report. NREL also thanks the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Wind and Water Power Technologies for their financial and technical support for the research and production of this report. Major chapter contributors in alphabetical order include: Karen Bushaw-Newton,1 Sandy Butterfield,2 Dennis Elliot,2 Fort Felker,2 Mau- reen Hand,2 Steve Haymes,2 Donna Heimiller,2 Alan Laxson,2 Nora Phillips,1 Russell Raymond,1 Amy Robertson,2 Marc Schwartz,2 Walter Short,2 Aaron Smith,3 Wendy Wallace.1 Peer Reviewers in Alphabetical Order: Maureen Bornholdt,4 Fort Felker,2 Jeremy Firestone,5 Patrick Gilman,6 Maureen Hand,2 Mary Hal- lisey-Hunt,7 Laurie Jodziewicz,8 Jason Jonkman,2 Willett Kempton,9 Andrew Levitt,9 Jim Manwell,10 Bonnie McCay,11 Rachel Pachtner,12 Aaron Smith,3 Laura Smith Morton,6 Tim Redding,4 Amy Robertson,2 John Rodgers,13 Heidi Souder.2 Report Editors and Production Coordinator: Kathleen O’Dell2 and Rene Howard.14 Graphic Images and Figures: NREL and Energetics Incorporated. 1 Energetics Incorporated, Washington, D.C. 2 National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 3 Sustainable Power Consulting 4 Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement 5 University of Delaware 6 U.S. Department of Energy 7 Georgia Institute of Technology 8 NRG Bluewater Wind 9 University of Delaware 10 University of Massachusetts 11 Rutgers University 12 Cape Wind Associates 13 Union of Concerned Scientists 14 WordProse, Inc. Table of Contents List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. vii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ ix Acronyms and Abbreviations ...................................................................................................... x 1.0 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Opportunities in Offshore Wind Power ................................................................................ 1 1.2 Status of the Offshore Wind Industry ................................................................................... 2 1.3 A Powerful U.S. Resource .................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Technology Status and Trends .............................................................................................. 4 1.5 Economics of Offshore Wind Power .................................................................................... 6 1.6 Regulatory Pathways for Siting and Permitting .................................................................... 7 1.7 Environmental and Socioeconomic Risks ............................................................................ 8 1.8 Findings and Conclusions ..................................................................................................... 9 2.0 Rationale for Offshore Wind ............................................................................................... 10 2.1 Energy Supply ..................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 The Environment ................................................................................................................ 10 2.3 The Economy ...................................................................................................................... 12 2.4 The Contribution of Offshore Wind ................................................................................... 12 2.5 Findings and Conclusions ................................................................................................... 17 2.6 References ........................................................................................................................... 18 3.0 Industry Overview and U.S Activities ............................................................................... 22 3.1 Historical Context ............................................................................................................... 22 3.2 Current Offshore Wind Activity ......................................................................................... 22 3.3 Worldwide Offshore Wind Projections .............................................................................. 26 3.3.1 Europe .......................................................................................................... 26 3.3.2 Other Parts of the World .............................................................................. 27 3.4 U.S. Offshore Wind Project Overview ............................................................................... 28 3.5 U.S. Policy Overview ......................................................................................................... 33 3.5.1 National and Regional Organizations .......................................................... 34 3.5.2 State Initiatives ............................................................................................. 34 3.6 Description of Offshore Wind Supply Chain...................................................................... 41 3.6.1 Turbine Suppliers ......................................................................................... 41 3.6.2 Key Components .......................................................................................... 42 3.6.3 Balance of Station ........................................................................................ 42 3.6.4 Vessels, Harbors, and Local Economic Activity ......................................... 42 3.7 Findings and Conclusions ................................................................................................... 43 3.8 References ........................................................................................................................... 44 4.0 Offshore Wind Energy Resources in the United States ..................................................... 53 4.1 Wind Resource Methodology ............................................................................................. 53 4.1.1 Mesoscale Modeling .................................................................................... 53 4.1.2 Wind Turbine Array Density ....................................................................... 56 4.1.3 Wind Speed Gradients ................................................................................. 56 4.2 Offshore Wind Regions ...................................................................................................... 56 4.2.1 East Coast: New England............................................................................. 56 iii 4.2.2 East Coast: Mid-Atlantic States ................................................................... 57 4.2.3 East Coast: The South Atlantic Bight .......................................................... 57 4.2.4 West Coast: California ................................................................................. 57 4.2.5 West Coast: The Pacific Northwest ............................................................. 57 4.2.6 Great Lakes Region ...................................................................................... 57 4.2.7 Gulf of Mexico ............................................................................................