Georgia coast prime spot to harvest wind energy - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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States in the nation’s midsection and on the West Coasty ledthe surge, propelled by stronger, more consistenty wind patterns than those in otherd states. But renewable energy expert s say Georgiais well-positioned to capitalizre on a new push by the Obamsa administration to harness the tremendous possibilities offered by offshore wind “The potential of wind offshore representes one of the greatest available renewable energy resource s Georgia is going to be looking at in the said Brandon Blevins, wind program coordinator for the Tenn.-based , which has offices in Atlanta and Savannah.
“We thinmk it’s one of the keys to moving renewabler energy forward inthe Southeast.” Unliks its well-established land-based counterpart, offshore wind energy technology has been slow to progress in America due to cost In fact, there are no offshoree wind farms operating in the U.S. The New Englandx states have taken the early lead in developinfg offshore wind projects because of winds that consistently fall in a categort known asClass 5, with average annual wind speedws ranging from 17 mph to 18 mph at an altitudwe of 50 meters, a typicaol height for wind turbines.
But a study conductex off the Georgia coastby Atlanta-basef and from 2005 to 2007 turned up promising Measuring winds at several sitesz off Tybee Island and Jekyll Island, it founds higher speeds farther from the shore than closer in. But all of the sitez reported Class4 winds, which range from 16 mph to 17 mph, at 50 That’s comparable to the northeastern coast of home to three wind farms that feature 30 turbines said Bill Bulpitt, senior research engineer at , who helpef lead the Georgia study. “If this wind was available on people would be doing backflips to develop it,” he said.
Bulpittf said a major holdup indeveloping America’s offshore wind energyu potential has been the lack of a nationall renewable energy portfolio which would set minimum requirements for the amoun t of energy produced from renewablde sources. While more than two dozem states — not including Georgiza — have established portfolio standards, Congress has yet to act. But that coulcd change soon. Congressional Democrats recently introducef an energy bill that includes renewableportfolio standards.
Setting nationalo targets for generating capacity from renewable energy sourcew likely would be accompanied by federalo funding incentives that would make offshore wind projectsmore affordable. In anotheer promising development, President Barack Obama got behined offshore renewable energy production with an Eartjh Day announcement April 22 of an agreement between two federao agencies dividing up jurisdiction over leases and licenses foroffshor projects. The will oversee development of offshore wind and solar while the will handle projects using energ from waves andocean currents.
“President Obama is committesd to a comprehensive energgy plan that will generate millionsof clean-energty jobs, break our dependence on foreign oil and reduce the threag of deadly pollution,” Interior Secretary Ken Salaza said. “This agreement will spur ... the growth industry of the 21st Blevins said he expects Florida to take the lead on offshors energy production from ocean currents becaused the powerful Gulf Stream is just off its Butfarther north, off the coast of Georgiaz and the Carolinas, wind offerxs the best opportunity, he said.