Earth Equity News

DOE Study: U.S. is Well-Positioned to Build Massive Offshore Wind Farms. By Joel Kirkland, ClimateWire, 10/8/10. “If politics and economics align, the United States is well-positioned to build massive wind farms off of U.S. coasts and in the Great Lakes to meet a substantial amount of the nation's electricity needs, according to the Department of Energy. In a 240-page study [PDF] of the potential and barriers for building 54 gigawatts' worth of offshore wind capacity, DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that doing so means the creation of at least 43,000 permanent jobs. Potential exists for $200 billion in economic activity, and government analysts predict 20 jobs would be created for every megawatt produced off of U.S. shores. The Obama administration appears big on the idea of jump-starting a dormant U.S. offshore wind industry. With the best-known offshore project, off the coast of Cape Cod, Mass., mired in a decadelong regulatory morass, the United States trails Europe and China in the development of projects.”