Wind Turbines Heading To Central Calif Waters
Written by 991KBU on October 23, 2018
In news from off the coast … the New York Times reports that California’s aggressive pursuit of a carbon-free electric grid is heading offshore.
The federal government has taken the first steps to enable companies to lease waters in Central and Northern California for wind projects.
And it may be spreading to Southern California oceans as well.
Wind towers would be placed on floating platforms … off the coast in federal waters.
The U-S Department of Energy has spent 40 million dollars designing a floating wind platform prototype…. it plans to develop a commercial project.
Each floating wind turbine could power 14,000 homes.
California is a particularly opportune spot for anchored wind turbines off the coast.
Scientists say the state has very good offshore wind … and winds over the ocean tend to pick up strength as the sun sets, just when the contribution of solar power is done for the day.
The feds are looking at anchoring the floating energy plants Humboldt County… up in Northern California, and near Diablo Canyon … in the San Luis Obispo area … the location of the state’s last operating nuclear plant.
The wind turbines farms would be about 15 to 30 miles off the coast, making them less visible from land and less of a hazard to seals and migratory birds.
Floating offshore wind turbines are used in Europe.
And the Channel Islands … off Malibu … are also an attractive potential site for wind turbines.
The Coastal Commission and state land Commission would have to give permission for the federal projects … because the undersea cables would have to come ashore under state jurisdiction.
And those cables … and spinning turbines … could affect whales and oceangoing birds.
NY Times article (possible paywall): https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/19/business/energy-environment/california-coast-wind-farms.html
