R&D

The report reviews existing knowledge concerning floating offshore wind turbines, and provides an evaluation of the critical design considerations, a draft design guideline for floating support structures and their stationkeeping systems, and recommendations for future research for floating offshore wind turbines.

The report investigates resonance coincidence and its impact on the structural design characteristics of offshore wind turbines. It offers a set of potential vibration mitigation and resonance avoidance strategies.

The study provided a baseline comparison of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) design requirements for offshore wind turbines (IEC 61400-3) and the American Petroleum Institute (API) recommended practice for the design of fixed offshore platforms (API RP-2A). Standards were compared in terms of structural reliability for extreme storm conditions. The study found that either guideline can be modified to achieve a target level of reliability and that metocean variability can be accomodated with adjustments to load or resistance factors.

The Order establishes the Governor's Scientific Advisory Panel on Offshore Energy to report on the potential of all offshore energy resources available to North Carolina, and offer policy recommendations for their wise use and benefit.

The report assesses the costs, challenges, and impacts in areas of technology, manufacturing and employment, transmission and grid integration, markets, siting and permitting strategies, and potential environmental effects associated with providing 20% of U.S. electricity needs through wind energy by 2030, an increase of more than 290 GW within 23 years.

The report evaluates and synthesizes existing information on environmental effects of alternative energy uses and identifies data gaps in current understanding.

In this audio recording, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) voted 8-0 to approve the construction of a 479 foot-tall, 5MW wind turbine generator prototype in the Lower Chesapeake Bay, three miles off the eastern shore town of Cape Charles. Approval came with eight special conditions agreed to by the applicants and payment of a one-time royalty assessment for the underground cable crossing under 15,219 linear feet of state-owned submerged land at $3.00 per linear foot, and for the stone riprap scour protection at a rate of $0.35 per square foot (total royalty of $52,667.10). The applicant also agreed to conduct a comprehensive scientific study of the turbine's underwater acoustical potential impact on marine life under a variety of wind and weather conditions.

Overview of offshore wind system technologies and design criteria for offshore wind farms.

The Ocean Energy Task Force (OETF) recommends that Maine establish a goal to install 5,000 MW of offshore wind energy by 2030; improve the siting, governance, and permitting framework for renewable ocean energy development; promote and support financing and development of renewable ocean energy projects and related businesses; improve and align energy transmission infrastructure and state energy policy to attain the offshore wind goals; and, streamline state permitting of appropriately-sited offshore wind energy. development

The report provides a scaling model for estimating the cost of wind turbine components and subsystems for different sizes and configurations.