Obama Approves Offshore Wind
February 3, 2012
To help increase clean wind energy production in the United States, the Obama administration announced that it would move forward on leasing areas for offshore wind energy projects in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia. These large offshore wind farm projects would be constructed in the mid-atlantic, being the first large offshore wind project ever backed by the United States. Many environmentalist believe that these offshore wind projects will be dangerous to the environment, especially damaging to migratory and ocean birds. But, the Obama administration has claimed that the environmental risks are not great enough for disapproval of the projects. This push by the Obama administration could see these projects beginning to form in only a couple of years, which is much faster than the usual seven to nine year waiting period to get approved leasing for wind farm construction. Wind turbines are most efficient in areas with consistently strong winds, and in surroundings with very few obstacles for wind to travel. This is why we see most of the wind farm in the US in the flat, plain areas of the United States like Iowa and Texas. Offshore wind turbines would have clear and uninterrupted access to consistently strong winds, and winds that travel with a clear laminar flow. If all of the offshore wind available in the United States was exploited, there would be enough electrical generation to power the entire country. The biggest setbacks are cost, transferring and transporting the energy, and risks to the environment.
I also just read that Obama approved funding toward increasing the use of biofuels made from non-food bio-mass, which should effectively help the outright cost. These are slow but great steps for both the environment and the economy, and I’m hoping to see a bit more incentive from Washington to encourage residential installation of solar pannels.