Offshore wind power can play a starring role in Australia’s future energy mix. It sure beats nuclear and coal, offering advantages in scale, availability and proximity to both users and the grid.
The first U.S. offshore wind farm was built in 2016 off Rhode Island’s Block Island.
AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
Two new wind farms began producing power in 2024, but several canceled contracts have left a dark cloud over the industry. A wind power expert explains why US offshore wind has been slow to scale up.
This marine ecosystem is so important it’s one of the main reasons the federal government has greatly reduced the area available for offshore wind farms in the region.
A row of monopiles that will be the base for offshore wind turbines, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.
David L Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
A recent study focusing on how offshore wind farms in Massachusetts waters could affect endangered right whales does not call for slowing the projects, but says monitoring will be critical.
The European lobster (Homarus gammarus)
Dave M Hunt Photography/Shutterstock
Craig Stevens, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Building offshore wind farms is complex and expensive. But with plenty of wind coming in from the sea, New Zealand could harness the renewable resource as it aims to decarbonise the energy sector.
Harbour porpoises are the most common toothed whale in the turbine-rich North Sea.
Onutancu/Shutterstock
The US is a latecomer to offshore wind development, but President Biden has set big goals for expanding it. The Gulf of Mexico has good conditions and a large offshore energy industry.
Several offshore wind farms are planned for the U.S. Northeast.
Scott Eisen/Getty Images
The regionalism that fuels the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry is also found in U.S. attitudes about energy production, a new study shows. That could have repercussions for the renewable energy transition.
The Biden administration is proposing a big increase in offshore wind power. A former state official explains how regulators find the best sites and balance competing interests.
More than ten offshore wind farms are currently proposed for Australia. If built, their combined capacity would be greater than all coal-fired power plants in the nation.
Craig Stevens, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research; Louise Kregting, Queen's University Belfast, and Vladislav Sorokin, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Ocean waves are a massive source of energy, but it’s challenging to design power generators for the harsh environment. Allowing marine organisms to grow on engineered structures could help.