Proposed Offshore Wind Project Could Be the West Coast’s Largest

A proposed offshore wind project in Washington state would be the largest of its kind on the West Coast, reports David Iaconangelo. “The proposal could include up to 2,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for about 800,000 homes, produced from turbines mounted on platforms and moored to the deep ocean floor about 43 miles off the coast of Grays Harbor County, Wash.”

The proposal, like other offshore wind plans, will likely face criticism from environmental groups, the fishing industry, and local tribes. “Yet it underscores the growing expectations around a new, floating generation of offshore wind turbines, which have never been built in the United States, even at pilot scale.” According to Iaconangelo, “[Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)] spokespeople told E&E News that the agency is reviewing the plan and will work with tribes, the state of Washington and others on the next steps.”

“By 2030, Washington state’s utilities are required to get at least 80 percent of their electricity from carbon-free resources, followed by 100 percent in 2045, under the terms of a 2019 law.” But the state has been moving more slowly than others, the article notes. “State governors have been major influences in the development of offshore wind on the East Coast by pledging to buy power from the resource. Washington state has no such commitment to purchase offshore wind power as of yet.” Other concerns include a potentially outdated electric grid and the higher cost of floating offshore wind as compared to fixed-bottom or on-shore wind production.