Both wind farms and offshore turbines have their detractors. However, as a source of domestically produced energy that does not pollute, turbines are projected to represent growing sector of electricity generation.
Within offshore wind farms, floating turbines may offer one option for the future of wind energy. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has taken into consideration a proposal that would place floating wind turbines on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), located off the coast of Maine, which is becoming an exemplar for locally produced energy based on available resources. The Department of the Interior announced in a press release that “Statoil North America has requested a commercial wind lease to build a demonstration project of full-scale floating wind turbine technology offshore Maine. The proposed project, located about 12 nautical miles off the coast, would have a 12-megawatt production capacity through four wind turbine generators.”
As with any project of this nature, the BOEM will work up an Environmental Impact Statement. Offshore work, whether drilling for crude oil or planning wind turbines, is fraught with issues of potential environmental impact. To see where the proposed installation would be situated, take a look at the BOEM’s map of Maine’s “State Activities”.
[Image source]
