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Massachusetts is
the site of the most advanced offshore wind project in the USA to date, the
Cape Wind
project. The Minerals Management Service has completed an
environmental impact statement for the project and and has a
special website for it. No construction has begun for the
project. The project has been controversial
in large part because its nearest point to shore is only about 4
miles out, and the wind turbines will be clearly visible from the coast
and waterfront homes. It is also a heavily used fishing and
recreational boating area.
The
State Ocean Plan was released in June 2009. It identifies
areas suitable for
ocean energy generation.
Deep-water wind energy
firm Blue H USA,
which has built and launched the world's first floating wind
turbine, has proposed to demonstrate it 23 miles south of Martha's
Vineyard in the middle of 2009. They have received significant
endorsement from state legislators.
The Company's criteria
include a requirement that projects be located at least 10 miles
offshore to avoid such conflicts and to maximize the wind / wave
energy. The Nantucket Shoals south of the Cape Islands of
Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard is an ideal spot. The location
is between 10 and 20 miles south of Martha's Vineyard - it is thus
inward of the proposed Blue H demonstration and possible project.
The Company strongly supports the Blue H initiative: Their
floating turbine technology requires deeper water than the platform
we propose, and our project can be a bridge to their project further
offshore.
Massachusetts Site
P-13310 (click to download FERC application)
UPDATE April 9, 2009:
FERC and MMS
agree to rule
changes that suspend the FERC preliminary permit system for OCS wave
power projects. The Company's application has been dismissed. But our existing preliminary permit
in Washington state is not affected by this decision. We will
continue our business in the other sites using the new permit
system. The Company's plans for these sites are not affected
by the change in the FERC preliminary permit system.
Site Coordinates
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NW 41° 56
N 70° 18 W
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NE 41° 56
N 69° 57 W
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SW 40° 56
N 70° 18 W
-
SE 40° 56
N 69° 57 W
The
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in 2004 published a
study on wave energy in Massachusetts. The report, System
Level Design, Performance and Costs Massachusetts State Offshore
Wave Power Plant, concluded that a 100 MW wave power plant
would be competitive with a 100 MW wind farm, and the report
contains extensive information about the wave energy and potential
WEC technology.
The Towns of Edgartown and Nantucket have received a
FERC preliminary permit P-13015 for a
tidal and wave energy
demonstration in the Muskeget Channel between the islands. The
boundaries of that preliminary permit are within State waters and do
not overlap with the proposed Project. We intend to collaborate
closely with the Towns to maximize success of both projects.
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has established the
Marine Renewable Energy Center.
The Center hosted a conference on marine energy in New England in
October 2008 and the website has presentations to download. It
is funded by the State and has partnerships with a number of leading
regional universities and institutions. It is the stated objective
of the MREC Director to support establishment of a marine energy
testing site in the same general area as the Company's proposed
project. We will offer our project as the test site and will support
MRECs efforts. |
