Offshore Wind

The document provides a comprehensive overview of offshore wind energy as of early 2016, contrasting the advanced capacity in Europe with the nascent industry in the United States. It details the technical advantages of offshore wind over onshore wind, such as stronger and more consistent winds and proximity to coastal population centers. The text outlines U.S. government initiatives, including Department of Energy funding and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management leasing, while highlighting the United Kingdom, Germany, and Denmark as global leaders. It also discusses the economic impact of the sector, specifically the 'additional employment effect' in European ports and shipyards.

• As of June 30, 2015, Europe dominated the global offshore wind market with 10,393.6 MW of capacity across 82 farms in 11 countries, representing over 90 percent of the world's total installed offshore capacity.
• The United States possesses significant offshore wind potential, estimated by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at over 4,000 GW, which is enough to power the country four times over.
• Offshore wind offers several advantages over onshore wind, including stronger and more consistent winds, reduced land-use conflicts, and the ability to be located near large coastal population centers, which minimizes the need for long transmission lines.
• The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) predicts the United States will reach 22 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and 86 GW by 2050, meeting seven percent of U.S. electricity demand by 2050.
• The offshore wind sector generates more jobs per megawatt than onshore wind or fossil fuels due to the labor required for installation and servicing, a phenomenon termed the 'additional employment effect'.
• In Europe, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Denmark are the primary leaders; as of the reporting period, the UK had 5,017 MW of operating capacity, followed by Germany with 2,760 MW and Denmark with 1,271 MW.
• Environmental monitoring of the Horns Rev and Nysted wind farms in Denmark from 1999 to 2006 indicated that biomass and species numbers increased due to artificial reef development, while bird collision risk remained low.

APA

Small, L., Beirne, S., & Gutin, O. (2016). Offshore Wind. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/factsheet-offshore-wind-2016

Chicago

Small, Laura, Samuel Beirne, and Ori Gutin. Offshore Wind. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2016. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/factsheet-offshore-wind-2016.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Small |first1=Laura |last2=Beirne |first2=Samuel |last3=Gutin |first3=Ori |title=Offshore Wind |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=4 January 2016 |url=https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/factsheet-offshore-wind-2016 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{small2016offshore, author = {Small, Laura and Beirne, Samuel and Gutin, Ori}, title = {{Offshore Wind}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2016}, month = jan, url = {https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/factsheet-offshore-wind-2016}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }