With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes $370 billion in climate and energy programs, policy experts are predicting a dramatic expansion in clean energy production. Offshore wind is a reliable source of growth.
Today, there are only two operating offshore wind farms in the United States near Rhode Island and Virginia, with a combined capacity of 42 megawatts. By comparison, the new Traverse Wind Center in Oklahoma has 356 turbines and 998 megawatts of generating capacity. But there are still many projects in development, mainly on the Atlantic coast.
The Biden administration has identified two offshore wind development zones in the Gulf of Mexico that have so far been well defined for oil and gas production. As part of his climate strategy, President Joe Biden has set a goal of deploying 30 gigawatts (30,000 megawatts) of offshore wind power by 2030 — enough to power 10 million homes with carbon-free electricity.
As energy researchers in Texas, we see this as an exciting new phase in our country’s ongoing transition to clean energy. We believe offshore wind power in the Gulf of Mexico represents a unique opportunity for this geographic region with a strong workforce and energy infrastructure to help meet society’s need for reliable, low carbon energy.
Installed capacity in 2021 in megawatts. (Graphic: The Conversation/CC-BY-ND, source: Global Wind Energy Council)
Why go offshore? Onshore wind power has grown significantly in the US over the past 15 years, including in Texas, the nation’s largest wind power producing state. The relative ease of permitting and locating wind power, affordable installation costs, abundance of resources, free fuel, and lower marginal operating costs reduce electricity costs for consumers. Wind power avoids the significant air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and cooling water emissions associated with power plants running on coal, oil or natural gas.
But offshore wind also has its drawbacks. The wind is usually at its weakest during the hottest part of the summer when the air conditioners are hard at work to keep people cool. Many of the best wind energy regions are far from power demand centers. For example, most of the wind farms in the Lone Star state are located in the highlands of west Texas and were built after the state spent billions building long distance transmission lines to get power where it was needed.
Many of the best onshore wind farms in the US (dark blue areas) are far from coastal communities, but these cities can be served by offshore wind farms. (Source: NREL)
Solar energy and batteries can solve some of these problems. But offshore power generation also has many benefits.
Just as onshore wind reduces energy costs for consumers, offshore wind is expected to do the same.
With more than half of the US population living within 50 miles of the coast, offshore wind farms are close to power demand centers. This is especially true in the Gulf of Mexico, where major cities such as Houston and New Orleans are located, as well as a concentration of petrochemical plants and ports. Instead of laying hundreds of miles of overhead wires and the resulting right-of-way and land-use disputes, power companies could use submarine cables to bring wind power to industrial facilities.
It is important to note that the sea wind complements the land wind. On a hot summer day, air speeds in west Texas slowed and offshore winds gradually picked up, helping to meet peak summer demand and improve network reliability.
The global market for offshore wind power is already strong, but until now the US was practically non-existent. The abundance of land here has spurred the growth of onshore wind power, but has weakened the influx of people into the water.
This is changing as tighter containment regulations in major wind states such as Iowa limit the distance that turbines can be placed, increasing construction costs and limiting the availability of acceptable sites. The capacity constraints of the US power grid are also making it difficult to bring wind power to market.
Welcome to the Gulf, you all appreciate these trends, and coupled with increased support for offshore wind power in the Climate Act, it looks like US offshore wind power is finally poised for a golden age. We see the Gulf of Mexico as a particularly attractive place to do business.
The bay’s shallower depth, higher temperatures and calmer waves are relatively manageable compared to the cold and harsh conditions of the North Sea, the North Atlantic and the coast of Japan, where offshore wind power has already begun. Water depths of up to 160 feet – currently the maximum depth for fixed-bottom wind turbines – extend nearly 90 miles along the southeast coast of Texas and the south coast of Louisiana, with Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard to the northeast only about 40 miles.
The underwater topography of the bay is characterized by gentler and gentler slopes than areas already considered for development along the coast of Virginia. This means that fixed-bottom wind turbines can be used in more locations than floating systems, reducing complexity.
It is important to note that the Gulf Coast has a strong offshore industry serving oil and gas producers and many specialized companies providing services such as underwater welding, platform fabrication, and helicopter and boat services to transport people and equipment to the sea. In 2019, oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico provided about 345,000 jobs.
Wind farms in the Persian Gulf can use existing infrastructure. There are almost 1,200 miles of submarine cables that can transfer wind power to shore. Wind power can also be integrated into a larger energy system that includes green hydrogen production and storage, as well as carbon capture.
Supporting Workers and Vulnerable People We also believe that offshore wind power can help achieve environmental justice goals. The production of cleaner and carbon-free electricity will help replace refineries and factories that process and generate electricity from fossil fuels. These facilities have caused severe damage to the health of cities like Houston and communities of color in the United States.
The development of wind power in the Gulf also provides an opportunity for a smooth workforce transition as the United States gradually reduces its dependence on fossil fuels. Louisiana has begun developing offshore wind regulations in state waters and is seeking federal funding with Arkansas and Oklahoma to establish a regional clean hydrogen center.
Green means federal energy project approvals are very slow, and wind projects in federal waters could take years to complete. But projects in state waters – up to 3 nautical miles from shore in most areas and 9 miles from shore in Texas – can be completed much faster.
Much depends on whether energy states like Texas and Louisiana see an opportunity to extend their reputation as energy leaders to offshore wind power. As we have seen, an offshore wind power boom in the Persian Gulf will be good for the region, the country, and the global climate.
Author Michael E. Webber is a professor of energy at the University of Texas at Austin, dedicated to Josie’s centenary.
Hugh Daigle is Associate Professor of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.
Post time: Aug-20-2022
