Where are the best offshore wind resources in New England?
Wind is an economically and technically viable resource for power generation along New England’s coast and offshore. Commercial wind power projects using large turbines generally require mean wind speeds of at least 7 meters/second. Click here3 to see a wind map of New England prepared by AWS Truewind (a private contractor) for MTC, the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, and Northeast Utilities. When you select a state on the New England Wind Map you will see a pull-down menu at the top of the screen to choose a height for wind speed information. Wind speeds at a height of 70 meters are applicable for siting large-scale turbines. To be suitable for commercial-scale development, offshore wind areas also need to be in areas where turbines can be installed and maintained safely, and should be located near load centers and regional transmission lines. Click here4 to see enhanced wind maps of Massachusetts and New England that show water depths and the proximity of onshore electric transmission
Related Questions
- If Nantucket Sound is the only feasible location for offshore wind in New England, does that mean that offshore wind potential as a source of electricity is limited?
- Could a wind farm comparable in size to Cape Wind be built elsewhere in New England, either on land or offshore?
- Where are the best offshore wind resources in New England?
