Potential For Offshore Wind Development in the US

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Potential For Offshore Wind Development in
the US

• Bruce Bailey
• AWS Truewind, LLC
• Albany, NY
• bbailey_at_awstruewind.com

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Why Wind Energy?

• Fastest growing energy source
• Costs dropped 90 in 20 years
• Growing demand/incentives for green energy
• Wind is lowest cost renewable and can generate
  bulk power
• Fuel price uncertainty (gas oil)
• Energy security

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Why Go Offshore?

• No windy lands near many load centers in East
• Transmission barriers on land for long distances
• Can satisfy state clean power programs
• Its windier

Over 50 of population lives in coastal counties.

• Offshore wind can still be cheaper than other
  land-based renewable sources

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Existing Planned Offshore Projects in Northern
Europe
First Offshore Project Built in 1991 gt600 MW
Operating gt10,000 MW Planned
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Europe Is Pioneering Offshore WindWhy?

• Aggressive government policies promoting green
  energy
• Widespread acceptance/familiarity with land-based
  wind projects
• Shallow waters well offshore

160 MW Horns Rev Project Off West Coast of Denmark
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Offshore Wind Requirements

• Large projects improve economics
• Avg. winds gt18 mph (8 m/s)
• Shallow water depths, for now
• Avoid areas with excessive waves
• Avoid environmentally sensitive areas, shipping
  lanes, etc.
• Near transmission port

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Offshore Challenges

• Corrosive, hostile environment
• Higher costs
• Difficult access
• New Infrastructure
• Long permitting construction schedule
• Inexperience

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Offshore Components

• Turbines rated 2 - 4 MW
• Tower heights gt200 ft (60 m)
• Spaced 1/3 to ½ mile apart
• Rotor diameters of 250-350 ft
• Foundations
  (monopile, tripod, gravity base)
• Substation marine cable
• Port facilities

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Technology Trends

• Transition from land-based modified designs to
  custom offshore
• Larger sizes (5-10 MW)
• Ultra-high reliability components
• Emphasis on safety/access issues
• Foundations for deep water
• Purpose-built vessels
• Hydrogen production?

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New England Wind Power Class Map

• Commercial Land Wind Projects Require Class 4
  Wind Class
• Offshore Wind Projects Require Class 5 Due to
  Higher Construction Costs

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New England Water Depths

• All Offshore Projects Have Been Built in Waters
  lt50 ft Deep
• Some Proposed Offshore Projects Are In Waters 70
  ft Deep
• Deep-Water Foundation Designs Are Under
  Development

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New England Windy Areas

• Windy Lands (Class 4) With and Without
  Parks/Govt. Forests
• 28 of windy lands are in parks/govt. forests
• Windy Waters (Class 5) with depths lt70 ft
• 40 of windy waters beyond 3-mile limit

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Mid-Atlantic Windy Areas

• Windy Lands (Class 4) With and Without
  Parks/Govt. Forests
• 42 of windy lands are in parks/govt. forests
• Windy Waters (Class 5) with depths lt70 ft
• 80 of windy waters beyond 3-mile limit

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West Coast Windy Areas
75 of windy lands in parks/govt. forests
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Available Windy Area
Class 4 on Land Class 5 Offshore and Water
Depths lt70 ft No land use exclusions
The U.S. Dept. of Energy estimates there to be
900 GW of offshore wind generation capacity, an
amount greater than the current installed U.S.
electrical capacity.
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Required Wind Data For Offshore Siting Design

• Avg. Speeds annual, monthly, diurnal (at hub
  height)
• Speed Frequency Distribution
• Wind Shear
• Turbulence Intensity
• Wind Direction Rose
• Extreme Gusts Return Periods
• Coincident Sea-State Conditions
• Coincident Air Temperatures
• Coincident Ice Accretion

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Sources of Resource Info
NASA-JPL

• Surface/Upper-Air
• Airports, CG stations, buoys (NOAA, NWS
  NDBC)
• Ships
• Commercial aircraft
• Weather balloons
• Remote Sensing
• Satellite
• Modeling/Mapping
• Numerical weather models
• High resolution wind maps
• New Measurements
• Site specific _at_ hub height

National Data Buoy Center
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Load Matching of Offshore Wind
Much higher capacity credit ratings for offshore
wind than onshore because inland ridgetop winds
peak at night.
Avg. Peak Day1999-2003Coastal NJ Utility Load
Plant Net Capacity Factor
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Conclusions

• Relatively shallow waters and large energy
  appetite favor East coast for initial offshore
  wind development
• Barriers to overcome planning needed
• Offshore wind not well understood by
  stakeholders need collaboration
• Include offshore wind in the development of state
  and federal energy policies
• Learn from European experiences

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Recommended Resource
A Framework for Offshore Wind Energy Development
in the United States www.masstech.org/offshore/
final_09_20.pdf
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Other Resources
Long Island Power Authority Offshore
Project www.lioffshorewindenergy.org
www.capewind.org
www.offshorewindenergy.org