First US Offshore Wind Power Park In Delaware 363
Dekortage writes "Offshore wind power company Bluewater Wind has announced an agreement to build America's first offshore wind turbine park off the coast of Delaware. 'Each turbine [will sit on] a pole about 250 feet above the waterline... the units are to be constructed to withstand hurricane-force winds. From the shore, the park will be visible only on clear winter days, and the turbines will be nearly invisible during summer months when Rehoboth Beach fills with vacationers. Each blade on the three-blade rotor is to be 150 feet long.' The wind farm will power 50,000 homes in Delaware, using about half of its capacity."
Ah, good. (Score:4, Insightful)
I was afraid that the US would be losing out on the fundamentals of actually deploying such alternative energy setups. While I don't suspect wind power will be the answer to anything much more than maybe 5% of the world's power needs, we WILL need the engineering and technical know-how. Either we can get in on this stuff early and have our people (And by our people I am well aware some may be from other countries, bust most will stay in the US) gain the expertise and be home-grown, and thus, ultimately contribute to our society, culture or economy, or we would have to rely on experts from other countries almost exclusively, and end up being at the mercy of foreign nationals.
This would be an ideal opportunity to track the total cost of installation and management vs. the total cost for an equivalent 'traditional' power plant.
Re:Cool; Now to expand to the great lakes (Score:3, Insightful)
That's not a bad idea. though it might be too far from shore to benefit much from tidal, it s worth a look.
Increasing energy density is always good. At least until it goes boom.
Re:1.6 billion for 50,000 homes? (Score:5, Insightful)
Why make them hard to see? (Score:3, Insightful)
I'd actually like the reminder that we are doing something like this. I can already see coal-fired power plants from the freeway, why is it a positive thing that something like this, which doesn't belch black smoke, can only been seen? You don't want the tourists to know that you're for a cleaner environment?
Re:1.6 billion for 50,000 homes? (Score:5, Insightful)
You have an excellent point...
However, electricity has tripled in the last 20 years from 5.3 to 16~ish cents. Assuming in the next 20 years, it does the same... then 1,280 would be roughly $430 adjusted for inflation- which will be a huge bargain.
Re:Why make them hard to see? (Score:5, Insightful)
For some reason people like to endlessly bitch that windmills are "eyesores", as if this in and of itself is reason not to use them. They don't look unsightly to me.
Re:1.6 billion for 50,000 homes? (Score:2, Insightful)
So you should basicly add the inflationary process to your caculations,
which is citing wikipedia[1] 3.9 %.
On the other hand the price for primary energy sources like nuclear fuel, natural gas and
most important coal, will unlikely decrease, they will rise,
And one word to the insane costs, when nuclear power plants are built the prices are nearly
the same, nuclear powerplants (as far as I know from germany) have a return of invest of ~25 years
after that they "produce" money, convetional power plants ~20 years, with usage of exhaust heat
perhaps less.
And while time goes on if a technology is used, it will get cheaper.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA
Re:Here it comes... (Score:4, Insightful)
The wind farm will be several miles out from the beach, so on a non-hazy day you will be able to make out a few toothpicks sticking up out of the water. Big deal, there are more ugly planes (with annoying banners!) and boats that go by all the time that look much bigger.
Re:Why make them hard to see? (Score:0, Insightful)
A couple reasons. First, quite a few vacationers go out to see a sunrise over the ocean, and, while I agree the turbines would be awesome, many might not think so, and would go to a different beach (not good for Rehoboth).
Second, think of the children. Kids see this big cool thing out in the ocean, parents turn around for a second, and you've got a 5 year old swimming out too far. Not likely, and I'm not saying it's a valid reason, but it could happen. Also, full grown idiots in a kayak might try it if they can see the thing, and they'd probably rather not deal with that either.
Third, less birds. If it's far enough out that we can't see, chances are there will be less birds out there for the thing to hit.
Forth, it might be windier out there than it is closer to the land, and they're telling us it can't be seen as an extra piece of information. I don't know this is the case, I'm just postulating.
Politics of Wind Power (Score:5, Insightful)
USA needs to be going full bore with wind power. So what if it only contributes a fraction of the power we need. Any additional source of power is good and worth it if the energy return is positive. Off-shore wind power strikes me as a great alternative to the concerns regarding land-based wind power. Concerns such as overcoming NIMBY resistance, ugly-ling up the landscape, discouraging tourism, etc.
So, what's the deal with the politiking? When you face a problem, you attack that problem on all flanks, which for this problem means investing in all forms of safe, eco-friendly energy. Sometimes that means legislating enticing incentives and direct funding by the government for solutions which cannot immediately generate profits, but would over time if initially invested.
F the politics.
Re:Ocean view (Score:5, Insightful)
That's just stupid. They're _windmills_. It would be a massive waste of money to guard them in particular over and above normal coast guard duties. The effort required to inflict any damage of real consequence is massively prohibitive. And trust me, industrial espionage? Not a problem here.
Yep, they're novel to see if you haven't before. But they're truly just really big steel towers with 3 giant blades at the top. They're building lots in Ontario these days, and there is nothing keeping anybody from getting reasonably close to them whatsoever...there's no point.
I do find it weird that they'd be building these out in the Ocean so that people can't see them. They're not unsightly, and the increased initial cost and access costs for maintenance seems counter productive. Ah well. It's a step in the right direction anyways.
Delaware (Score:3, Insightful)
Delaware, first to ratificate the constitution, first to have an US offshore wind power park.
What a briljant state!
Re:The two big questions.... (Score:5, Insightful)
"By your logic, we shouldn't get tax cuts for hybrid cars, or tax cuts and government rebates on solar cells in our homes, because in the end our tax dollars are paying for it..."
Don't know about the OP's logic, but by my logic you are absolutely correct. Why should you get to hold a fricken gun to my head (courtesy of the IRS) to pay for your Prius? If you want to buyt a Prius, or install solar cells on your roof, fine - and more power to you. But when you use the government to steal money from others to pay for it, well it is time for you to STFU and pay for the real costs of your toys.
You know the way everyone is supposed to pay for the real costs of using oil etc. - or does such blatant hypocrisy just not register?
Re:Don't forget... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: The DelMarVa coast - It's warm enough, breezy enough, and wet enough to approximate a beach in summer. With cheap oil, it's a cheap automotive vacation. It attracts everyone east of Appalachia, south of Pennsylvania, and north of Richmond. Somehow it never became an icon - but it is the most popular vacation destination for several million people.
The only inhabitants that aren't supported by the corporate technicalities or the vacation industry are farmers.
Re:Ocean view (Score:2, Insightful)
I do find it weird that they'd be building these out in the Ocean so that people can't see them.
There's too many idiots who complain about windmills. We have a massive installation near my place(Palm Springs) and they generate good clean power and they look kinda cool IMO, but they've stopped adding more because people are complaining that they're ugly. I honestly don't see it. I much prefer that than brown skies from a coal plant or the potential for a meltdown from a nuclear plant.
We can put windmills in my backyard any day of the week. They are relaxing and transfixing to watch, better for the environment, and strengthen America's energy infrastructure. I just don't get why people are against them, other than the enviro whackjobs who complain about the birds who might die in the blades. Things must die for other things to live, and coal and oil have the potential to kill much more than the blades of windmills.
Re:Don't forget... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:The two big questions.... (Score:3, Insightful)
...install solar cells on your roof, fine - and more power to you...
Comedy's finest.
Weather System Impacts anyone? (Score:1, Insightful)
Has anyone considered the impact on the weather system? A windfarm pulls energy out of the wind (by definition), so that energy is not there to carry things like rain.
If you put one off-shore won't that impact on the rainfall inland (or at least down-wind) of the windfarm?
Re:Ocean view (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Ocean view (Score:3, Insightful)
I'd love for them to be close to my house because it would mean that the jets would have to fly further away. Windmill = quiet power. Jet = noise pollution.
Layne
Re:Politics of Wind Power (Score:2, Insightful)
Well, isn't the definition of conservative the 'safe and known'? Conservatives tend to be opposed to anything at all that's new, and will make mountains out of molehills at the slightest problems, generally speaking. More and more are understanding that we really have to get off of the oil teat, but it's slow going, as conservatives tend to also be deeply entrenched in big businesses (Especially oil companies). So basically it's principal, and because the environmentalists like it, so many conservatives will automatically hate it.
Of course, these are generalizations, and, as I said, many are starting to come around to the more practical benefits of alternative energy sources, other than just better environmental practices.
Re:Don't forget... (Score:3, Insightful)
I'd also note that aging it too long may not be a good thing... not sure what the temp conditions are, but that definitely shouldn't be on your desk -- for beer's sake, man, get it out of the light! I'm not big on aging IPAs too long, I think the caramels and the "burnt tire" flavor contradict the hoppiness... even though I love well-aged red and brown ales.
Re:Here it comes... (Score:3, Insightful)
I wonder if people bitched so much back when the Coast Guard was going around putting up lighthouses everywhere.
Now, some of the most expensive property on Cape Ann, MA is the coastline where the lighthouses are visible. They're considered picturesque; hell, more than that, they're 'romantic seacoast' to the point of being cliched.
We just need the political will to ram the wind-power projects through, and in a few years they'll just be another part of the landscape. A few generations, and people will be putting together comprehensive coffee-table books on "Wind Turbines of the Northeast U.S."
Re:Ocean view (Score:4, Insightful)
People keep saying this, but I have to ask: how close do you have to stand to hear a modern wind turbine? Because I've stood at the fence of the Palm Springs wind farm (because my girlfriend insisted on taking photos of "the pretty windmills", so much for them being an eyesore too) and I couldn't hear a thing. And I wouldn't expect to hear much either, since they rotate about once every 3 seconds and have 3 blades. I don't hear very well in th 1Hz range.
Re:The two big questions.... (Score:5, Insightful)
The reason to offer rebates to prius buyers is simple. The market doesn't charge other car buyers for the pollution and other real or perceived negative effects of their choice vehicle. These negative effects are shared amongst the populace at large; the costs savings and benefits of a more polluting vehicle are enjoyed by one person alone yet everybody ends up somewhat worse off (by living with poorer air quality etc). So the government is taking a look at prius buyers and saying "Hey, your vehicle choice doesn't result is as many negatives so here is a credit."
Without such credits and rebates their would be no financial incentive not to pollute and generally create a mess of the environment as the market is unable to capture and charge you for these costs.