Could first U.S. offshore wind farm be in Texas?

[TexasTowelie]

The Ormonde offshore wind farm off the coast of England was developed by Baryonyx CEO Ian Hatton, who is leading the GOWind project off South Padre Island. The Texas wind turbines will be similar in design to those in Ormonde. (Baryonyx)

Five miles off the coast of South Padre Island lays the beginning of the Gulf Offshore Wind Project, which developers like to refer to by the optimistic acronym GOWind.

Right now the only thing marking the 41,000 acres in the Gulf of Mexico that have been leased is a buoy recording the paths of the birds and bats flying overhead. But in three years' time, a team including university professors and a former British oil executive is hoping to have the nation’s first commercial scale wind farm installed and eventually generating enough power for 1.8 million homes – at least when the wind is blowing.

“It makes the most sense for Texas to have the first offshore wind farm. It’s already the leader in onshore wind power,” said Heather Otten, chief development officer for Austin-based Baryonyx, the company leading the project. “But there’s a lot more work that goes into an offshore project than an onshore project, I can tell you that.”

While offshore wind power has taken off in countries like Denmark and Japan, the United States has yet to get past the starting line. A wind farm off the coast of Cape Cod was supposed to be the nation’s first, but after more than a decade-long fight with the likes of powerful residents like the late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy and billionaire William I. Koch, that project remains mired in litigation.

More at http://res.dallasnews.com/interactives/2013_November/offshorewind/ .



Cross-posted in Texas group.

[kristopher]

1. There is a reasonably good chance.

Texas opened their waters to wind long before anyone else; they had a policy in place, ready to take bids for leases around 2003 IIRC. I seem to recall that the reason they didn't get a response was that winds in that region of the Gulf just aren't very good.

New technologies, shifting demographics and declining capital costs might have changed the calculus. I wish them good sailing.

[FogerRox]

2. The OP title is a little misleading

I believe Texas A&M is talking about 3 Vesta 6mw turbines, 18mw total, by late 2016 or 2017. All within a 1/4 mile of shore.

The Atlantic City Wind farm went operational in 2006, with 5, 1.5mw turbines, 7.5mw total.

And the article makes hay about Cape Wind which will never be built, and yet fails to mention the Atlantic Wind Connection, a 360 mile long marine HVDC cable, 10-20 miles offshore, that would support 1700, 4mw GE of its turbines. The largest project kind in the world.

The problem with Cape Wind is its close proximity to Nantucket, Marthas Vineyard and Cape Cod and the associated water taxis, fuel deliveries, private planes, and other uses already in place.

The ACW, being 10-20 miles from shore, wont be seen from the beach, is beyond inter coastal traffic and will only have 4 grid connections, which all have to see environmental reviews. The Jersey leg is slated to begin construction in 2016.

[kristopher]

3. The Atlantic City turbines aren't offshore.

They are on the beach to service a sewage plant.

Cape Wind will definitely be built, they expect to start construction before the end of the year. The only problem is that the Koch Brothers have made it their personal mission to stop the project.
They've failed.

[FogerRox]

4. End of 2013?

Kris you know I'm big on wind & solar, but the Feds wont let them start until they have something like 65% financing, which apparently Cape Wind has, 200 million from the Danish company and 2 billion from BTMU, so they exceed the 65% requirement.

But the Feds have to approve the financing, I dont know if thats happened yet.

[kristopher]

5. That's what they say

Cape Wind Offshore Farm Sees Lawsuits Cleared by Year-End
By Ehren Goossens & Christopher Martin - Oct 22, 2013 4:54 PM ET

Cape Wind Associates LLC, the developer seeking to build the first U.S. offshore wind farm, expects to resolve by year-end the last lawsuits delaying the project, clearing the way for construction to begin before a key tax credit expires this year.

Two legal appeals remain after the company won 13 previous challenges, Vice President Dennis Duffy said today at the American Wind Energy Association’s Offshore Windpower 2013 conference in Providence, Rhode Island.

Cape Wind, based in Boston, has spent more than a decade pursuing the $2.6 billion project in Nantucket Sound, fighting opposition from environmental groups, local fishermen and members of the Kennedy family. It must begin construction by Dec. 31 to earn the federal investment tax credit.

“What we are focusing on right now is ensuring we qualify for the ITC before the end of the year,” Duffy said in a speech..

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-22/cape-wind-offshore-farm-sees-lawsuits-cleared-by-year-end.html

[FogerRox]

6. Right they can spend 15 million on building

a dock to work from and other facilities. They did let the 15 million dollar contract for exactly that. And that gets them qualified for the tax credit IIRC.

I still think Cape Wind is the worst project and wont be built. I believe the first offshore wind farms should be built farther out, to be good neighbors......

...would it hurt us to put turbines 15-20 miles from shore.... at least to start.....

Personally I think wind turbines are super cool, I've checked out the Atlantic City turbines, and the one in New Haven Harbor in Connecticut. they dont spoil the view, no way.

But not everyone thinks like me.

[kristopher]

7. I've been there and examined the site

I've also interviewed a lot of people there on the topic including most of the on-the-ground leaders of the opposition.

This is not a pristine environment by any stretch of the imagination and it is IIRC about 6 miles offshore. Given the normal water-vapor haze which is a staple feature of a seascape on all but the clearest of days, that distance renders the turbines invisible from shore. It is an outstanding resource in an easily accessed area that is in the heart of some of the heaviest load in the nation.

The 'controversy' is a Koch Brother's creation no less than the Tea Party is and the stated opposition position to Cape Wind is as baseless and poorly thought out as just about every other issue they embrace.

[FogerRox]

8. 2-10 miles depending where you stand

Hyannis, Marthas Vineyard, or Nantucket. I've been on the beach at Hyannis, Nantaucket was not really visible, but Marthas was. Nantucket is about 12 miles from Hyannis.

[kristopher]

9. Where is it 2 miles?

That would put it in Mass. waters, and the entire project is in Federal waters. The distances below are from shore to the nearest turbine.

What is the distance of the wind farm to shore?
Cape Wind will be 5.2 miles from Point Gammon, a private island in South Yarmouth, 5.6 miles from Cotuit, 6.5 miles from Craigville Beach on Cape Cod. Cape Wind will be 9.3 miles from Oak Bluffs and 13.8 miles from the town of Nantucket. Cape Wind will be farther away from the nearest home than any other electricity generation facility in Massachusetts.

ETA link: http://www.capewind.org/FAQ-Category4-Cape+Wind+Basics-Parent0-myfaq-yes.htm

[FogerRox]

10. UR rught- Sorry, went by memory, see map

[caraher]

11. I was disappointed in RFK Jr. when he joined the opposition to this

Each 440 foot turbine (measuring to the top of the blade tip at its highest point) seen from 5.2 miles subtends an angle of a whopping 16 milliradians. What an eyesore!

I think the biggest impact, visually, will be at night. That's my experience of the local wind farms on farmland - the winking lights are much more startling than the daytime view of blades calmly rotating.