The spotlight on offshore wind development in the Great Lakes has moved to New York City, off the Rockaways. A new state energy blueprint, published last week in Albany, shows clear support to setting up an offshore wind farm in the Atlantic Ocean, rather than Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, according to Buffalo News.
Seven months ago, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and governors of Great Lakes states signed an agreement with President Obama to speed up the Great Lakes offshore wind development. Now, the officials say that they are not giving up on that, but considering a better, more pragmatic and less expensive solution.
Offshore wind development is more costly than the onshore one, especially when it comes to the Great Lakes, where wind turbines would be placed in water that freezes during winter and would also be far from the state’s main energy requirements.
[mappress]
Offshore WIND Staff, October 29, 2012; Image: Palfinger