Memo: Advancing Offshore Wind Energy in the U.S.
By Teresa R. Christopher, Megan Davis, Jean Flemma, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson (Urban Ocean Lab), and Maggie Thomas (Evergreen Collaborative)
Background
Globally, offshore wind development is flourishing. As costs decline, wind is becoming more competitive with traditional energy sources, and government and public support is increasing. The offshore wind energy market is expected to grow at 18.6 percent annually through 2024 and 8.2 percent through the end of the decade, with the industry projected to generate about 234 gigawatts (GW) of power globally by 2030. In the U.S., seven East Coast states have collectively committed to creating almost 20 GW of wind power by 2030, and the industry projects 25 GW by 2030. However, there are currently only two operational offshore wind facilities. There is a 30 megawatt (MW) wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island that became operational in 2016 and a 12 MW wind farm (phase one of a potentially 2,640 MW project) off the coast of Virginia that became operational in June 2020. Yet, there are around 30 additional proposed offshore wind projects in various stages of development in U.S. waters. Currently, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has issued 16 active commercial wind energy leases, which, when operational, could power approximately 8 million homes.
There is massive potential for offshore wind as an energy source, and it could be a major component of a clean energy economy. Notably, offshore wind is stronger and more consistent than onshore wind. This is particularly significant because lack of reliability is often cited as one of the major barriers to expanding renewable energy. In the U.S., it is technically feasible that offshore wind could provide over 2,000 GW of energy, two times the present generation of the entire U.S. electric grid. With 40 percent of Americans living in coastal counties, harnessing offshore wind energy would allow the U.S. to generate energy near where demand is highest.
