https://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/the-biden-administration-s-offshore-wind-fantasy
If the president’s goal were physically achievable, it should not be pursued, because of offshore wind’s dismal economics, i.e. a wholesale price at least 10 c/kWh after massive federal and state subsidies, compared to about 5 c/kWh from existing fossil, hydro and nuclear plants. Offshore wind is hugely expensive, much more so than solar, onshore wind, hydro, and geothermal. [6]
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The costs of installing offshore wind facilities will not be decreasing in future years. Economic and physical constraints are likely to increase the costs of offshore wind projects, as developers compete for scarce/expensive material and labor resources. [7]
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Because wind speeds are random, 24/7/365, offshore wind would require significant investment in standby/backup power plants, primarily gas-fired power plants. Such plants need to be available, 24/7/365, staffed, fueled, and kept in good working order, to instantly counteract the regular ups and downs of wind outputs, and provide electricity when winds are weak, as happened in Europe in 2021, well before the Ukraine events.
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Although wind and solar proponents claim, without proof, battery storage would eliminate the need for fossil-fuel backup generation, the costs, raw-materials, and manufacturing capacity needed to produce the required quantity of battery storage to provide just three or four hours of standby/backup power would be staggering.
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See below section Capacity and Cost of Battery Systems for ONE HOUR Backup of US Electric System
See Soaring Costs Threaten Buildout of Biden’s 30,000 MW by 2030 of Offshore Wind
Block Island Wind
There is only one offshore wind facility operating in the US—the 5-turbine, 30-MW Block Island Wind, BIW, located near Block Island, Rhode Island.
The project took two years to build at a cost of about $300 million, excluding onshore extension/augmentation of the grid, which was charged to New England ratepayers.
The 22-mile, Sea-to-Shore transmission line from BIW to the mainland, had a cost $114 million. [8]
The overall project cost was over $400 million—more than $13,000/kW.
By comparison:
1) New, 60%-efficient, gas-fired, combined-cycle power plants have a capital cost of about $1,200/kW,
2) New offshore wind projects have an estimated capital cost of about $5,000/kW, including cabling from wind turbines to landfalls, but excluding on-land grid extension/augmentation, which is charged to ratepayers. [9]
3) New onshore wind projects in Maine had an estimated cost of about $2,600/kW in 2019, excluding grid extension/augmentation, which is charge to ratepayers. See page 41 of URL
https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-08/land_based_wind_market_report_2202.pdf
Ever since BIW began producing electricity in December 2016, it has been plagued by operational issues, such as:
1) In 2017, both undersea cables that deliver electricity from the turbines became uncovered because of tidal action. After almost five years, the Sea-to-Shore cable still has not been reburied.
2) In June 2021, stress fractures were found in four of the five towers that support the turbines.
3) Although Ørsted, the project developer, shut down the turbines for “routine maintenance,” at least three of the five turbines were still off-line as of November 2021. [10]
Environmental Pushback and Increased Costs
Offshore wind development faces significant environmental pushback, including from commercial and sport fisheries interests.
As development accelerates, offshore wind projects will face growing logistical and supply issues.
Together, these will delay development and increase costs, completely offsetting the pipe-dream projections of decreasing costs.
The increasing goals of offshore wind of Europe and China, will worsen the logistical and supply issues faced by offshore wind developers in the United States.
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