Floating offshore wind tech to open up US waters
America’s East Coast is primed for activity thanks to the recent approval of the country’s first commercial offshore wind farm near Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. Exploiting the wind resources off the US Western States is not plain sailing. The Pacific Ocean’s Outer Continental Shelf is a geographical feature that falls away into deep waters, making it unsuitable for traditional fixed bottom wind turbines. However, floating offshore wind – a nascent technology whereby a turbine is mounted on a floating structure – could harness 58 per cent of the US’s offshore wind resources that are currently untouched as soon as 2024.
