US To Fire Up Big Offshore Wind Energy Projects

coondoggie writes "The US government today took a bold step toward perhaps finally getting some offshore wind energy development going with $50 million in investment money and the promise of renewed effort to develop the energy source. The plan focuses on overcoming three key challenges (PDF) that have made offshore wind energy practically non-existent in the US: the relatively high cost of offshore wind energy; technical challenges surrounding installation, operations, and grid interconnection; and the lack of site data and experience with project permitting processes."

Comments

Re:Massachusetts?

[Cornwallis]

You beat me to it. I was going to say in response to: "The plan focuses on overcoming three key challenges (PDF) that have made offshore wind energy practically non-existent..."

Ted Kennedy and Walter Cronkite are both dead now. Who's the third challenger?

Re:Original headline 'Us Tries To Fire Up..

[icebike]

But it seems both the summary and TFA overlooked the FOURTH big Key Challenge to getting off shore wind projects started, namely Ted Kennedy, (rip).

A steadfast opponent of anything in his back yard, he pretty well held the entire off shore industry in check for 30 years.

Re:Missed the BIGGEST Challenge

[afidel]

Bring it to the rustbelt, we have some of the best spots for wind generation in the country, some of the dirtiest power production, and not so many up tight people worried about their view being ruined. Oh, and can float the parts out of the factory if you set it up in one of the hundreds of abandoned factories on the waterfronts thus reducing shipping costs to near free.