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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