The United States and Offshore Wind

This longer article entitled
The US Offshore Wind Market - Can It Stay on Course? by Elisa Wood,
Renewable Energy World (May -June 2003) which focusses primarily on the progress with the Cape Wind project, gives a good overview of some of the problems facing offshore wind development in the United States. Obstacles discussed include the lack of a clear permitting process (well, actually, a disagreement as to whether existing permitting processes are sufficient), opposition from some environmental group and competing offshore users. On the positive side, the article notes that "consumers are hungry" for green power and many states have implemented a renewable portfolios standards which mandates that a certain percentage of a utility's power come from renewable sources. Ultimately, the article concludes that the future of offshore wave in the United States may hinge in part on the outcome of the Cape Wind proceeding. (as if developing a project weren't pressure enough without having to worry about the precedent it may set)