Interest of European Developers Confirms Certainty of U.S. Offshore Wind

Several European developers, including Iberdrola (Spain), Electricite de France and Mainstream Renewable Power (Ireland), have officially filed “indications of interest” for the first competitive lease auction to develop offshore wind projects in two wind energy areas in the U.S. waters.

After a decade of the U.S. struggle for energy produced by offshore wind, this is a sign of certainty in realising the country’s offshore wind plans, the President of Arcadia Windpower Ltd. Peter Mandelstam told Bloomberg. “The Europeans have been doing this since 1991,” he is quoted as saying. “It’s a badge of honor for the U.S. industry that the Europeans are here.”

The U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Deputy Secretary David J. Hayes and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Tommy P. Beaudreau announced the Proposed Sale Notices on November 30 to offer 277,550 acres in two “Wind Energy Areas” – one area offshore Virginia and the other area of mutual interest offshore Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The competitive lease sales auction is scheduled for 2013.

The areas proposed for leasing are expected to be able to support more than 4,000 megawatts (MW) of wind generation – enough electricity to power an estimated 1.4 million homes.

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Offshore WIND Staff, December 7, 2012; Image: Scira