The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has announced it’s moving forward with additional offshore wind lease areas off MA and NY in response to multiple requests from industry.

“America has a world-class wind resource far off our shores that is attracting the investment of a billion dollar energy industry that currently supports over 85,000 jobs overseas. Today’s announcement by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to advance new offshore wind leases is a clear sign of momentum in the Northeast, where thanks to recent visionary state leadership in Massachusetts and New York there is a visible market of over 4,000 MW of offshore wind power – enough to power over approximately 1.3 million homes and only a fraction of the region’s offshore electricity generation potential,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “Responsibly developed offshore wind power is America’s golden opportunity to create tens of thousands of well-paying jobs, while providing pollution-free power right where it’s needed and avoiding wildlife impacts. The National Wildlife Federation applauds our state and federal leaders for the vision and commitment today’s action represents.”

In other news:

  • According to a Bloomberg report: “Across Europe, the price of building an offshore wind farm has fallen 46 percent in the last five years — 22 percent last year alone. Erecting turbines in the seabed now costs an average $126 for each megawatt-hour of capacity, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. That’s below the $155 a megawatt-hour price for new nuclear developments in Europe and closing in on the $88 price tag on new coal plants, the London-based researcher estimates.”
  • A new analysis prepared by Navigant Consulting for the American Wind Energy Association reports: “American wind power expansion is poised to drive 248,000 jobs and $85 billion dollars in economic activity over the next four years.”

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Amber Hewett • March 13, 2017