December 14, 2016
...AND CHEAPER...:
Wind Energy Picking Up Steam Onshore and Off : Government approval of power lines to carry wind energy to the coasts is a sign that momentum is building in the renewable energy sector. (Kate Wheeling, 12/14/16, Pacific Standard)
On Tuesday, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced the approval of the TransWest Express--a green energy power line that stretches more than 700 miles across the Southwest United States. The approval of the transmission line project is the result of a partnership between the Department of the Interior and Western states to encourage and expedite the development of renewable energy projects on federal lands. For the Power Company of Wyoming--the massive wind farm that will generate the 3,000 megawatts of energy expected to course through the TransWest Express--the approval is a long time coming. [...][O]n Monday, the first offshore wind farm in the country--a five turbine installation off the coast of Rhode Island--began operations.Recent technological advances by engineers in Ohio that ease the installation of turbines and reduce their environmental impacts will only accelerate the pace of offshore development, Thomas explained:Instead of drilling the turbine's foundation directly into seafloor bedrock, a massive steel drum, known as a Mono Bucket, establishes a suction cup-like grip on the lake's floor. The drums, which take just 12 hours to install, are less likely to disturb the environment than traditional "pile-driving" foundations, which are prone to releasing pollution and sediment trapped in deeper waters.
Posted by Orrin Judd at December 14, 2016 3:29 PM