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Energy Insights 2021 Issue 5

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6 Offshore wind has the significant advantage of being located close to population centers along the U.S. coasts. Locating offshore wind farms near populated or industrial areas can help reduce the amount of energy sourced from non-renewable sources. Offshore wind serves as a compelling alternative to long-distance transmission of onshore electricity generation.1 The National Renewable Energy Laboratory evaluated multiple clean energy technologies for resource adequacy, technology readiness and cost competitiveness, and found that offshore wind in the Gulf of Mexico has the highest technical resource potential — 508 gigawatts.2 In particular, significant potential lies off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has noted that the "Gulf Coast States comprise 32 percent of the shallow-water offshore wind potential in the United States, with the highest potential wind resources off the Texas and Louisiana coasts."3 Still, challenges to offshore wind development remain. The barriers to offshore wind development continue to include the mitigation of impacts on the environment, the technical challenges of installation and the challenges related to grid interconnection. INSIGHTS 01 Here is a link to our recent client alert on the topic: G u l f C o a s t O f f s h o r e W i n d S p u r s E n e r g y I n n o v a t i o n | S h e a r m a n & S t e r l i n g . Spotlight: U.S. Gulf Coast Offshore Wind Spurs Energy Innovation

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