Wind energy Archives

Offshore wind industry poised to alter US energy and ocean landscape

July 26, 2023
In the vast landscapes of the Midwest and Great Plains, wind energy has found a pathway for development. However, a new frontier for renewable energy is emerging on the horizon in the form of offshore wind turbines in the United States.

The Biden administration has set an ambitious target to deploy up to 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, which would be sufficient to power 10 million homes, constituting approximately 7% of the country’s energy capacity. Harnessing wind at sea offers advantages, as it tends to be stronger and more consistent than on land, making it a more reliable source of renewable energy.

Presently, the U.S. already has two operational offshore wind farms. One wind farm is near Block Island and features five turbines. The other is a pilot project with just two turbines off the coast of Virginia.

Dominion Energy is planning to expand this project by constructing 176 turbines starting in 2024, making it the largest offshore wind farm in the nation. Moreover, several other sites along the East Coast are currently in different stages of research, evaluation and construction to accommodate additional projects. For instance, a specialized ship is presently installing a 62-turbine project off of Martha’s Vineyard to power more than 400,000 homes.

While offshore wind energy is relatively new to the U.S., Europe has been harnessing it for decades. Denmark, for instance, installed the world’s very first offshore wind farm in 1991, and the U.K. currently operates over 40 wind farms.

Despite the potential benefits, there are concerns and apprehensions surrounding the technology in the U.S.

Building and maintaining turbines in the water is notably expensive. Furthermore, the visual impact of vast offshore wind farms and their potential effects on tourism, the fishing industry and real estate values along the coastal areas are subjects of debate.

Additionally, concerns about the impact on marine life have been raised by conservation groups and politicians alike. The Department of Energy has acknowledged that “wind plants can impact local wildlife.” However, there is currently no evidence of significant harm to marine mammals from existing offshore projects.
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Clean energy spending to outpace fossil fuels for first time ever

May 25, 2023
Global investment in clean energy is rising and is now set to outpace spending on fossil fuels for the first time ever. That’s according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), who released its latest World Energy Investment report on Thursday, May 25.

According to Straight Arrow News’ exclusive Media Miss tool, out of the dozens of sources covering this story, most are on the left and in the center. Only one source leans to the right.

According to the report, rich countries are the ones pushing the clean energy spending. The IEA reported $2.8 trillion will be devoted to energy projects around the world in 2023. $1.7 trillion of that is set to go to clean technologies, which include:
- Renewables.
- Electric vehicles.
- Nuclear power.
- Grids.
- Storage.
- Low-emissions fuels.
- Efficiency improvements.
- Heat pumps.
The other $1.1 trillion is going to coal, gas and oil.

“Clean energy is moving fast – faster than many people realize. This is clear in the investment trends, where clean technologies are pulling away from fossil fuels,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a statement. “For every dollar invested in fossil fuels, about 1.7 dollars are now going into clean energy. Five years ago, this ratio was one-to-one. One shining example is investment in solar, which is set to overtake the amount of investment going into oil production for the first time.”

Thursday’s report doesn’t mean the end of fossil fuels quite yet. In fact, investments in coal are set to rise by about 10% in 2023, nearly six times what the agency says they should be.
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Reports: Russian ships allegedly getting intel, preparing sabotage in Europe

April 20, 2023
Despite warnings from the United States and Europe against Russia expanding its current aggression in Ukraine further west, new intelligence has revealed that Russia may be doing just that in the North Sea. The body of water is located in between Scandinavia and the United Kingdom.

According to a joint report by public broadcasters in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway, Russia has been gathering intel in the North Sea. The alleged goal is to sabotage European wind farms, gas pipelines, and internet and power cables.

According to Norwegian broadcaster NRK, at least 50 Russian ships have gathered intelligence in Nordic waters in the last decade. Swedish broadcaster SVT reported 27 Russian spy ships had been seen in Swedish waters. The BBC reported UK officials are aware of Russian ships moving in UK waters.

“We saw in recent months Russian actors tried to uncover how the energy system works in the North Sea,” General Jan Swillens told the BBC. “It is the first time we have seen this.”

The ships from Russia are reportedly mapping offshore wind turbines, underwater data cables and other pieces of infrastructure belonging to Europe and the UK in the North Sea. Some are carrying out underwater surveillance, mapping key sites for possible disruption to European communications and energy supplies.

Known as “ghost ships,” the report suggested the ships entered the North Sea disguised as fishing trawlers or research vessels. The ships would then switch off their automatic identification system, rendering them invisible to conventional tracking.

Russia’s ambassador to Norway told NRK any research being done by Russia was properly coordinated through diplomatic channels in accordance with international law.
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US renewable energy surpassed coal for the first time in 2022

March 28, 2023

Renewable energy is producing more electricity than coal for the first time in the U.S. thanks largely to the growth of wind and solar energy. Combined renewable energy from wind, hydropower, solar, biomass and geothermal is also producing more electricity than nuclear power for the second year in a row.

Natural gas remains the No. 1 source in the U.S. for electricity, but the gains in wind and solar energy are significant. California produced more than a quarter of the nation’s solar electricity, followed by Texas and North Carolina.

Texas accounted for more than a quarter of the nation’s wind generation, followed by Iowa and Oklahoma. Wind power produces the most renewable energy, followed by hydropower.

Experts assume wind and solar will continue to grow, but they both still have a significant gap to close before catching up to natural gas which also increased year-over-year.

Combined wind and solar amount to 14% of the country’s electricity generation, followed by hydropower at 6%. Natural gas produces more than a third of the nation’s power.

The cost of renewables is getting considerably cheaper. Over the past decade, the cost of wind energy declined by 70%. Meanwhile, costs associated with solar power declined by 90%.

The Energy Information Administration predicts coal will continue to decline, largely because coal plants are closing and there’s a push to phase out the use of coal due to impacts on the environment.
Scotland’s wind turbines have been secretly using fossil fuels

February 7, 2023

Scotland’s power sector is being criticized after it was revealed that dozens of giant turbines have been using diesel generators. The information came from a whistleblower who says the environmental-friendly windmills were only turning thanks to fossil fuels.

The revelation is now fueling environmental, health and safety concerns, especially since the diesel generated turbines were running for up to six hours a day.

Scottish Power said the company was forced to hook up 71 windmills to the fossil fuel supply after a fault on its grid. The move was an attempt to keep the turbines warm and working during the cold month of December.

South Scotland Labor MSP Colin Smyth said regardless of the reasons, using diesel to deice faulty turbines is “environmental madness.”
US auctions first wind farm leases off California coast

December 6, 2022

Even with the push for more renewable energy sources, commercial-scale offshore wind farms are still rare. But the tides may be changing.

On Tuesday, California held the first lease auction in the United States to develop offshore wind farms. A total of five lease zones went up for auction. Two zones off the state’s northern shores and three off the central coast.

The turbines will either float on giant triangular platforms or buoyant cylinders with cables anchoring them to the ocean floor. The turbines could be as tall as the Eiffel Tower and will be placed about 25 miles from the coastline. Native tribes in the coastal region are concerned about the turbines being visible from sacred prayer spots.

“In absolutely perfect conditions, crystal clear on the best days, at the highest point, you might be able to see small dots on the horizon,” said Larry Oetker, the executive director of the Humbolt Bay Harbor, Conservation and Recreation District.

The first offshore wind farm in the U.S. came online in 2016 off the coast of Rhode Island. The offshore wind farms off California’s coast will be the first commercial-scale wind farm in the U.S. and will have the potential to produce 4.5 gigawatts of energy. There are plans to develop similar offshore sites off the Oregon coast next year and in the Gulf of Maine by 2024.

The proposed offshore wind farms also serve as the latest confrontation between green energy proponents and some environmental groups.

Supporters contend wind energy should be a crucial part of any carbon-neutral initiative. But critics counter there is not enough known about how offshore wind farms can impact the environment. They say whales could get stuck in the cables anchoring the turbines, and bats and birds could collide with the spinning turbine blades.

However, with the cost of developing offshore wind dropping by 60% since 2010, and with President Biden’s goal of developing 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, green energy backers seem to have the advantage, at least for now.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Offshore wind industry poised to alter US energy and ocean landscape

Clean energy spending to outpace fossil fuels for first time ever

Reports: Russian ships allegedly getting intel, preparing sabotage in Europe

US renewable energy surpassed coal for the first time in 2022

Scotland’s wind turbines have been secretly using fossil fuels

US auctions first wind farm leases off California coast

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