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  1. #1

    Offshore Windfarms: Good or Bad?

    local article

    I was at a conference here in VB that involved a proposed offshore wind farm to be installed off the coast (around the North End area). They have a long way to go, there are a lot of restrictions in the water here: with the shipping lanes, fishing, environmental stuff, and most of all, the military allocated areas. Personally, I dont want it here. Im not really the best wave-ocean-landscape guru, but these wind turbines (and poles) are huge, theres gonna be a lot of offshore digging and trenching, and I dont want it to ruin what little waves we get out here. But that doesnt matter, I think they are at least 10+ years away, and I dont plan to be living here by then. Some speakers also talked about projects they had throughout the mid-atlantic. There is supposed to be a project involving 6 wind-turbines off the coast of Atlantic City, and there were proposed test projects in the MD and DE areas. Plus theres the Cape Wind debacle.

    How do you guys feel about this?

  2. #2
    I want to see them everywhere. I live very close to a giant one right now and its awesome.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Seattle, WA
    well, if nothing else, it sure beats coal. we also need to focus far more heavily on the DEMAND side. there's great potential for new development on that end and lots of people working to make it happen.

    Demand Response Research Center at LBNL is doing some amazing stuff. Here's a link to their site if you're interested. You can download most of their published stuff for free at the site.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Lewes, DE
    I am a proponent... I have never done any extensive research, but from what I can tell there is mostly positives and minimal negatives. I believe the hardest part about any of this new clean energy technology is making the technology cost effective. My guess it that they are able to make these offshore wind farms cost effective since it seems to becoming an increasing popular idea.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
    This article is a couple of years old, but it helps to explain why Denmark is way ahead of the US (and the rest of the world) in developing the technology necessary to harness the power of the wind:


  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Hilton Head Island - OB, SD
    yeah, im not opposed to them at this point, but again, my opinion lacks extensive research. I know that they are planning them on the west coast as well, and with tons of wind activity sending us all that surf, I have to wonder why they wouldnt try and harness all that raw power...

    And as far as it affecting the waves or surfing in VB, I was under the assumption that these turbines are installed WAYYYYY offshore. Not even within eye sight, so waves would probably difract around any installed piping, and if you think about it, if it is installed directly east of North End, it would take a perfectly direct, dead on, and I mean perfectly east swell to come right at it. Every other swell angle would clear it the way it normally would.

    Maybe some one could shed light on where they install these things, but I thought it was 20+ miles out to sea. Anyone?