VA Highlighted in Major Offshore Wind Announcement
By Georgie Gale | Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 | PolicySecretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu were in Norfolk yesterday to make a major funding announcement for offshore wind energy. The two agencies have allocated $50 million toward research and development to jumpstart the offshore wind industry in the United States.
It is important to note the significance of having the announcement in Virginia. The Commonwealth, like other states, will be competing for these federal dollars, which will go to new turbine designs, finding cost efficiencies and other research. Many other states have been trumpeting their intentions for offshore wind farm development for months, whereas Virginia has remained relatively quiet. With a conservative Governor that’s worried about rate increases, it has been up to the industry to promote itself in Virginia. You won’t see McDonnell getting on a national platform to declare a renewable energy goal or a power purchase agreement. However, with quiet support from the State, thorough research has been done, an industry group created, and now a new Authority of the State established.
The end result is that while other states have been trumpeting goals, Virginia has quietly laid the groundwork for the success of offshore wind energy in the Commonwealth. And it’s gotten attention at the national level.
The Department of Interior will have a call for interest coming out soon for a significant chunk of territory on the Outer Continental Shelf about 20 miles off the Virginia coast. Developers will get to compete for the opportunity to build a wind farm. Meanwhile, Virginia’s ports and maritime community stand at the ready to build a new industry. No other state has the assets that Virginia has to be able to handle manufacturing of the size and scope required for turbines, blades, towers, etc. All the other ports on the East Coast are basically built out, where Hampton Roads has more than enough room to grow, and no height obstructions. If offshore wind energy is like other industries, its manufacturing, logistics and supply chain will coalesce around one region in the country. It’s an opportunity that could be Virginia’s for the having and it means thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of economic investment.
The fact that the DOI and DOE are working together is a recent development. As important as the offshore wind industry was to President Obama, his agencies weren’t talking to each other. Now DOI and DOE are working together with the Department of Defense to expedite the process and get this industry moving. In just over a year, an amazing amount has been accomplished, and now Virginia may have a project identified by the end of the year.
To all those out there who are nay-sayers about offshore wind energy, I say just sit back and watch. This is THE next big thing.
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Georgie Gale of Virginia Beach. That's it.
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19 Responses to "VA Highlighted in Major Offshore Wind Announcement"
Great article. This is decades overdue. Virginia is the most practical ground zero for eastern US large scale wind. Alternative energy is no longer someday if in Virginia..
One of the things that makes Virginia an ideal location for a wind farm is that there are prevailing winds. They originate in the north from Washington DC and pick up steam down the 95 corridor through Richmond.
If you like sonic booms and jet noise in your pristine environment, then you’ll love windmills. They make bad neighbors.
If you also enjoy small returns on your investment then you’ll like them too.
How are you planning on hearing wind turbines 20 miles off the coast? You must have some amazing ears!
The government in Britain has been playing with wind energy. Link below leads to lots of articles on the subject. There are problems.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/
The world’s biggest ocean wind farm is off Foreness Point, Kent, it has 100 turbines, each measuring more than 300ft, and will power more than 200,000 homes.
However the UKERC have calculated that the cost per unit of energy – known as a Megawatt hour – over the 25 year lifespan of the farm is expected to be £149.
That compares with £80 for coal and gas, and £97 for nuclear power.
Onshore wind farm – at £88 per megawatt hour – is almost as efficient of fossil fuels but is hampered by complaints they ruin the landscape.
Experts fear that Britain is relying too much on wind as a power source when other technologies are required in calm weather.
This is good news for Virginia. Much more realistic and environmentally friendly than drilling for oil off the coast. Of course wind farming doesn’t solve all our energy needs, but it can provide a piece to puzzle. Better utilization of nuclear power would be another important piece.
Where’s Kirwin? He has at least three windfarm jokes that he’s told me in the past couple weeks.
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I’m glad to see the Obama Administration finally breaking wind in Virginia.
My first windfarm proposal is a huge one in between the House and Senate – they both generate enough wind to energize half the Eastern Seaboard.
I think our biggest competitor will be the Charleston, SC region. They have the port, and are not going to be strangled by all the toll roads.
Wind turbine costs more than it saves.
One of Britain’s most visible wind turbines performed so badly last year that the energy is produced was worth less than the value of its public subsidies, it was reported.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/8315304/Wind-turbine-costs-more-than-it-saves.html
The arguments for and against wind farms.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/8314206/For-and-against-wind-farms.html
Pollution on a disastrous scale in China, the true cost of Britain’s clean, green wind power experiment
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1350811/In-China-true-cost-Britains-clean-green-wind-power-experiment-Pollution-disastrous-scale.html
A primary school has been forced to switch off a £20,000 wind turbine because it keeps killing passing seabirds.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/7870929/Primary-school-forced-to-turn-off-wind-turbine-after-bird-deaths.html
James, you’re blowing enough wind in here to light the east coast.
“A primary school has been forced to switch off a £20,000 wind turbine because it keeps killing passing seabirds.”
Well, let’s not build primary schools in the FREAKIN’ OCEAN.
nitwit.
And your China article talks more about the environmental impact of metals mining. That’s the “pollution” you cite? How China gets its metal to make wind turbines?
Did you let some 3 year-old do your research?
James, similar stories were plentiful when the self propelled motor carraige was first introduced.. The british required someone waving a flag to walk in front of any moving vehicle after horse and buddy incidents.. http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/heritage_automobile.htm
In other news..
http://www.gamesacorp.com/en/communication/news/gamesa-northrop-grumman-shipbuilding-launch-offshore-wind-technology-center.html?idCategoria=0&fechaDesde=&especifica=0&texto=&fechaHasta=
Tried to hire a three year old but he was working full time for Brian Kirwin. “The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both.”
Turbo, you can not solve a problem if you ignore it. A wind turbine that does not use rare earth metals would be nice. Spend 50 million on that research. A Virginia offshore wind farm should produce the same results as a British offshore wind farm.
Obama and his watermelons are trying to steer the US into an energy policy like the one the British enjoy now. I would prefer not to follow that path.
I like solar energy. The Spanish government tried a solar energy policy that has been a disaster. The policy has wrecked the economy and the government is all but bankrupt. Might not want to try that path either.
http://climaterealists.com/index.php?id=7175&linkbox=true&position=1
Predictions of “historic superstorms” in our future. This discussion concerns magnetic pole shift as a cause, although La Nina and solar effects are mentioned elsewhere.
A cold wet spring with danger of extreme weather events around Feb 14-15 and Feb 27-28 has been predicted by Piers Corbyn.
“Tried to hire a three year old but he was working full time for Brian Kirwin”
Haw haw haw! What a knee slapper! You is a funny hayseed!
Now James, what exactly do you mean by “Obama and his watermelons”????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
I have heard a lot of great things about The Virginia Alternative and Renewable Energy Association (VA-AREA). This group is working in partnership to enact pro-growth public policy to expand Virginia’s renewable energy industry, create jobs and attract investment to Virginia. Supporting their cause I feel will greatly help the Commonwealth out and I encourage anyone interested in sustainable energy to check out their website.
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