Wind

WIND

Humans have been harnessing wind power for millennia, with windmills originally relying on wind to pump water or mill flour. Today’s wind turbines work similarly, with their large blades generating electricity as wind causes them to rotate. As these blades are pushed by the wind, a connected internal shaft that is attached to an electric generator also turns and generates electricity. Wind power is one of the safest sources of energy and relies on one key factor: wind speeds. Unsurprisingly, the majority of America’s onshore wind turbine infrastructure is located in the middle of the nation, where wind speeds are highest.

Today, wind power is the most productive renewable energy source in America, generating nearly half of its renewable energy. In 2022, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA),renewable energy sources accounted for about 20.1% of all electricity generated (primarily from wind, solar & hydropower) --of which 9.2.% was from wind, up from 8.4% in 2019. By 2021, the top five wind-generating states, Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas and Illinois, were generating more than half of all America’s wind energy. For a look at how states compare in terms of utility-scale wind generation, take a look here. There are ten states, located primarily in the southeast, with no wind power facilities at all.

The growth of wind power has been astonishing – especially when you consider that wind energy only made up 0.2% of U.S. electricity generating capacity in 1990

The U.S. is now investing more in a clean energy transition than any other country in the world except China --which has got us seriously beat.

Offshore wind is also evolving rapidly—go to our page learn about the incredible contributions to our energy stream it will add in the years to come.

CURRENT NEWS

Retired wind turbine blades live on as park benches and picnic tables

By Coco Liu Bloomberg 11/25/23
At first glance, the benches outside the Great Lakes Science Center in downtown Cleveland seem unremarkable. But a closer inspection shows that their droplet-shaped shells aren’t made from wood or metal. A scan of the…
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Bill Gates Backs Novel Merry-Go-Round Wind Turbine: Half the Cost and Better for Landscape Than Giant Towers

By Good News Network 11/11/23
Bill Gates has backed a novel wind power system by investing in Airloom Energy, a company that has developed a carousel-style wind turbine.
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The Green Fuel That Even Red America Loves

By Phred Dvorak 11/05/23
The Biden administration’s climate push has gotten little love from the other side of the aisle.
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New technology uses good old-fashioned wind to power giant cargo vessels

By Scott Neuman 10/05/23
Well over a century after the Age of Sail gave way to coal- and oil-burning ships, climate change concerns are prompting a new look at an old technology that could once again harness wind to…
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It’s Too Easy to Block a Wind Farm in America

By Robinson Meyer 09/27/23
All across North America, more and more wind farm projects are meeting local opposition. That’s the conclusion of a new study, published earlier this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, that…
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Prevalence and predictors of wind energy opposition in North America

By Leah C. Stokes, Emma Franzblau and Chris Miljanich 09/25/23
Addressing climate change requires societies to transition away from fossil fuels toward low-carbon energy, including renewables. Unfortunately, large wind projects have proven politically controversial, with groups opposing them across advanced economies. To date, there are…
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Biden picks on Boebert in clean energy manufacturing speech

By Alex Gangitano 08/09/23
President Biden mocked Rep. Lauren Boebert (Colo.) on Wednesday during remarks out West on clean energy manufacturing, making her the latest Republican to get called out in his recent speeches.
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What I learned when I tried installing a wind turbine on my house

By Michael J. Corenby 07/11/23
I want my own wind turbine. I know how much power hides in a light breeze. I’ve seen modest winds send a 350-ton ship across miles of ocean. Small turbines mounted on the boat’s rail,…
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Record new wind capacity to be installed by 2027 – industry report

By Nina Chestney 03/27/23
A record 680 gigawatts (GW) of wind energy capacity is expected to be installed by 2027 but policymakers need to ensure supply chain bottlenecks do not slow growth to avoid missing climate targets, according to…
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This Bizarre Wind Turbine Could Make Offshore Wind The Ultimate Clean Energy

By Will Lockett 03/24/23
In our fight to save the planet, floating offshore wind has become one of the most tantalising energy alternatives. Out at sea, there is a copious amount of wind energy. In fact, the annual available…
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The state that generates much more renewable energy than any other

By Dan Gearino 03/09/23
Here’s a state-by-state tally of the leaders and laggards for wind, solar and other renewable energy in 2022.
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Why Greta Thunberg is protesting wind farms in Norway

By Kelsey Ables and Rick Noack 03/01/23
When Swedish climate advocate Greta Thunberg and other activists protested at several Norwegian government ministries this week, they weren’t demonstrating against new petroleum refineries or tax incentives for Big Oil. Instead, they were standing against…
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KEY RESOURCES

Mapping U.S. Wind Electricity Generation by State

05/10/22
Wind power is the most productive renewable energy source in the U.S., generating nearly half of America’s renewable energy. America’s wind energy generating states are all primarily located in the Central and Midwest regions of…

How governments and businesses can supercharge decarbonisation

03/18/22
Taking the necessary action to stay within 1.5 °C is in essence neither a technology, nor an economic challenge. It's a leadership challenge. To enhance and deliver on the pledges made at COP26, immediate steps…

New York Bight Draft Proposed Sale Notice Summary for the New York Bight Intergovernmental Task Force Review

06/15/21
The purpose of this document is to outline the basic principles and major decision points BOEM is considering as it develops a Proposed Sale Notice (PSN) for the New York Bight. BOEM will convene the…

Solutions Series: Wind Energy & Brief

05/19/21
Wind energy is an important tool needed to combat climate change. The U.S. has seen dramatic growth in wind electricity generation with an increase from 6 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) in 2000 to about 338…

Offshore Wind for America

05/18/21
The United States currently relies heavily on fos-sil fuels to heat our homes, fuel our cars, power our machines and produce electricity, harming our health and our climate. Across the country, however, America is beginning…

South Fork

02/15/21
BOEM has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the South Fork Wind Farm and South Fork Export Cable Project. The following documents are available for your viewing.

2035 Report

10/01/20
Scientists say we must cut global carbon emissions in half by 2030 to avoid catastrophic climate impacts.

Doing what’s right for the Right whale

03/27/20
What good does it do to create a world running entirely on green energy if we harm the environment while doing it?

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management: Atlantic OCS Region

03/05/20
Responsible development of the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) wind and wave energy resources is managed by the Office of Renewable Energy Programs. The Marine Mineral Program oversees the use of OCS non-energy sediment resources.…

Business Network for Offshore Wind

03/05/20
The offshore wind sector is expected to grow quickly over the next decade, boosted by a predicted $300 billion investment that will add an approximate 10GW to the nation’s current wind energy capacity.

New York State Offshore Wind

03/05/20
Offshore wind energy is poised to become a major source of affordable, renewable power for New York. As codified by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, the State is supporting the development of 9,000…

OFF-SHORE WIND IN EUROPE

02/28/20
This report summarises construction and financing activity in European offshore wind farms from 1 January to 31 December 2018.

Equinor Offshore Wind Projects

01/06/20
On July 18, 2019, New York State governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that Equinor had won the bid to develop the Empire Wind farm offshore New York.

Offshore Wind: A European Perspective

01/06/20
The offshore wind market is playing an increasingly important role in the United States’ energy discussions. The rst US o shore wind project, the Block Island Wind Farm, launched operations o the coast of Rhode…

Wind Solar Alliance

12/13/18
The Wind Solar Alliance (WSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the transition to renewable energy as a means of strengthening the U.S. economy and reducing the environmental impacts of our energy use.…

Windpower Monthly

12/13/18
Windpower Monthly is the leading news magazine of the international wind energy business. Fiercely protective of its independent status, the magazine provides balanced quality information on wind power and only wind power. Our focus is…

American Wind Energy Association

12/07/18
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) is the premier national trade association that represents the interests of America’s wind energy industry - Together, with hundreds of our member organizations, we work to help drive wind…

Solar and wind energy enhances drought resilience and groundwater sustainability

11/13/19
Increased use of solar and wind energy can aid groundwater sustainability, an important aim for both taking on droughts as well as boosting sustainable agriculture.

MORE NEWS

Wind Farms Deliver Economic Jolt to Rural Middle America

By Tim Henderson   01/18/23  
A wind power boom in the nation’s central corridor has been a financial windfall for some struggling rural areas. Coke County, Texas, which has a population of about 3,300, had the biggest increase in economic…
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Wind energy is saving the Texas grid, not crippling it

By Tim McDonnell   12/22/22  
Texans are bracing for a winter storm beginning Dec. 22 that could deliver harsh cold winds and temperatures dropping to 10F. The winter blackouts that hit the state in February 2021, which caused hundreds of…
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California’s coming offshore wind boom faces big engineering hurdles

By James Temple   12/05/22  
This week, dozens of companies are expected to compete for the right to lease the first commercial wind power sites off the coast of California in a federal online auction that could kick-start the state’s…
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Maine advances $1.8B of projects to bolster clean energy

By Miranda Willson   10/28/22  
The Maine Public Utilities Commission approved a proposed wind farm and long-distance power line in Aroostook County in northern Maine.
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Solar and wind energy saved Texans more than $7 billion in 2022 so far

By Noor Adatia   10/18/22  
Researchers examined how much more expensive electricity would have been if the Texas grid did not use wind and solar power.
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Ohio Supreme Court upholds permit for what could be North America’s first freshwater wind farm

By Ethan Howland   08/11/22  
The Supreme Court of Ohio Wednesday upheld a permit for the 20.7-MW Icebreaker wind farm, a demonstration project that is poised to be the first freshwater wind farm in the United States. In a 6-1…
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Electricity grids aren’t making the most of wind power

By YCC Team   07/05/22  
“Instead of the grid operator telling the power plant when to run and how much, the power plant gets to tell the grid operator, ‘We’re going to run this much,’” Gomberg says. “So there’s some…
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Repowering Project Aims for Pinnacle of Success

By Darrell Proctor   07/01/22  
Repowering of power generation facilities can provide an aging plant with a new lease on life. But there’s more to it than just extending an installation’s operational lifecycle; repowering can increase power generation capacity, the…
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A land rush for renewable energy is transforming the Eastern Plains

By Mark Jaffe   06/19/22  
A race to meet state climate goals — and to get expiring federal tax credits along the way — has led to a flurry of wind and solar activity.
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GM Invests $10 Million in Wind-Energy Start-Up

By AI Root   06/15/22  
GM (ticker: GM) is putting the money—using GM Ventures, or GMV—into Wind Catching Systems, a start-up developing floating offshore wind-power electricity generation systems.
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Wooden Wind Turbine Towers Promise to Slash Carbon Footprint

By Lloyd Alter   06/02/22  
One of the many complaints we hear about wind turbines from fossil fuel fans is that turbines have a high carbon footprint—thanks in part to the steel in their towers—so it is counterintuitive to invest…
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U.S. approves major transmission line from Wyoming to Utah

By Nichola Groom   05/27/22  
The Biden administration on Thursday gave final approval to a 416-mile electric transmission line that will help connect more wind and solar energy to the Western U.S. grid.
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LA Times Today: How wind energy could reshape the West

05/25/22  
In his series, “Repowering the West,” L.A. Times’ Sammy Roth is taking us on a road trip through the western U.S. to explore the transition to clean energy.
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Distributed wind could supply more than half of US electricity but needs policy support, NREL study finds

By Emma Penrod   05/24/22  
Distributed wind resources ranging from single wind turbines powering a private home, to community installations of up to 1 MW in size, could add nearly 1,400 GW to the U.S. power grid, more than half…
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Standing on the Continental Divide, where wind energy could reshape the West

By Sammy Roth   05/05/22  
Reporting on clean energy from my kitchen table is one thing. Standing atop the Continental Divide — wind whipping at my face, construction workers grading roads nearby, pronghorn jogging across the sagebrush landscape — is…
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These whales are on the brink. Now comes climate change — and wind power.

By Dino Grandoni   04/21/22  
About 17 nautical miles south of Nantucket, a half-dozen New England Aquarium researchers scrambled across this vessel’s icy deck. Clutching binoculars, clipboards and cameras, they strained to catch a glimpse and scribble notes about a…
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Study Finds Offshore Wind Could Drive Down Energy Costs in New England

By Laura Oleniacz   04/21/22  
A new analysis led by North Carolina State University researchers found offshore wind power could help lower wholesale electricity prices on average for six states in New England, with relatively low risk of wind turbines…
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Offshore wind report says Delaware could procure power at less than half current cost

By Tom Byrne and Jon Hurdle   04/08/22  
Delaware could buy offshore wind power at less than half the cost it currently pays for fossil fuel-powered electricity, after the health and climate impacts of the current supply are taken into account, according to…
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US wind energy just hit a major milestone

By Ella Nilsen   04/06/22  
The United States set a major renewable energy milestone last Tuesday: wind power was the second-highest source of electricity for the first time since the Energy Information Administration began gathering the data.
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DOE takes stock of offshore wind supply chain, calls for 2,100 turbines to meet 30 GW goal

By Lulia Gheorghiu   03/31/22  
The nascent offshore wind industry in the U.S. must install at least 2,100 turbines and foundations in order to meet federal deployment targets, according to a report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory released on…
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Ørsted completes onshore wind farm Haystack Wind in Nebraska

03/21/22  
Located in Wayne County, Nebraska, Haystack Wind utilizes existing interconnection infrastructure in Southwest Power Pool (SPP) North from Ørsted's 230 MW onshore wind farm Plum Creek Wind, located nearby. Between the two projects, Ørsted has…
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Wind, solar could replace coal power in Texas

By Mike Williams   03/21/22  
The new work led by environmental engineer Daniel Cohan and senior computer science major Richard Morse of Rice’s George R. Brown School of Engineering uses optimization modeling to identify the least-cost combinations of proposed wind…
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Wainscott Residents Sue to Stop Wind Cable

By Christopher Walsh   03/17/22  
As construction of the onshore portion of the South Fork Wind farm proceeds in Wainscott, a lawsuit filed in United States District Court last week seeks to halt that work, claiming its potential to spread…
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Inside clean energy: explaining the record-breaking offshore wind sale

By Dan Gearino   03/03/22  
After days of bidding, six companies emerged as winners last week in a record-breaking auction for the rights to develop offshore wind in federal waters off New York and New Jersey.
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Wind Farm Cable Work Begins In Wainscott

By Michael Wright   03/02/22  
Ørsted contractors last week took the first major work on the installation of the conduit that will eventually conceal the South Fork Wind power cable beneath Wainscott roadways — the same day a judge dismissed…
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U.S. offshore wind bids soar past $3 bln, auction to continue Friday

By Nichola Groom   02/25/22  
The Biden's administration's sale of offshore wind development rights off the coasts of New York and New Jersey surged past all expectations on Thursday to reach more than $3.3 billion, with bidding still not complete.
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U.S. offshore wind auction bids top $1.5 bln, with more to come

By Nichola Groom   02/24/22  
The largest ever U.S. sale of offshore wind development rights - for areas off the coasts of New York and New Jersey - attracted a record $1.5 billion in bids on Wednesday, supporting President Joe…
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Largest US offshore wind lease auction attracts $4B

By Iulia Gheorghiu   02/24/22  
The New York Bight leasing auction concluded after three days for a total of $4.37 billion in winning bids, the Interior Department announced.
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Engineers are building bridges with recycled wind turbine blades

By Maddie Stone   02/11/22  
On a former train track bed connecting the towns of Midleton and Youghal in County Cork, Ireland, workers recently excavated the rusted remains of an old railway bridge and installed a pedestrian one in its…
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Groundbreaking Held For New York’s First Wind Farm Project

By Carolyn Gusoff   02/11/22  
There was a milestone Friday in New York’s move toward clean energy. A groundbreaking was held in East Hampton for a major offshore wind project. It’ll be only the second in the nation.
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Offshore wind takes off at last. States have been counting on it.

By Alex Brown   02/07/22  
The United States currently produces almost no electricity from wind farms in ocean waters. That’s about to change—fast.
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Offshore Wind Energy — Rich With Opportunity, For Oil Giants And Utilities Alike

By Ken Silverstein   01/24/22  
Offshore wind energy is an untapped resource in the United States. But it is now being uplifted — the product of favorable policies by the Biden Administration and the desire by some producers to start…
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Biden’s offshore wind plan is also a jobs plan

By Neel Dhanesha   01/19/22  
The United States’ struggling power grid is finally getting some major upgrades. Last week, the Biden administration announced a plan that, among other efforts, will aim to bring more sources of clean energy online and…
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South Fork Wind Receives Final Approval from the U.S. Department of Interior to Start Construction on New York’s First Offshore Wind Farm

01/19/22  
South Fork Wind, New York’s first offshore wind farm, has received approval of the project’s Construction and Operations Plan (COP) from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), which is…
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Contracts for Empire Wind 2 and Beacon Wind Projects are Finalized

01/19/22  
NY Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the finalization of contracts between the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and Empire Wind Offshore LLC and Beacon Wind LLC, each a 50-50 partnership between…
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LaGuardia Community College to launch offshore wind training

By Rachel Vick   01/19/22  
LaGuardia Community College is preparing to support the next generation of green energy workers from Queens as part of New York State’s efforts to expand offshore wind production.
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Governor Hochul Announces Historic Wind Energy Auction Off New York And New Jersey Coast

01/12/22  
Governor Kathy Hochul today in conjunction with United States Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler announced that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will…
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The first offshore wind lease sale under Biden is coming soon. Will the fishing industry intervene?

By Maxine Joselow and Alexandra Ellerbeck   01/11/22  
The Interior Department is expected to greenlight the first offshore wind lease sale under President Biden as soon as this week, a move that would lower the nation's reliance on the fossil fuels that are…
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Commodities Buzz: US Installs More Wind Turbine Capacity In 2020 Than In Any Other Year

By IIFL Securities   12/29/21  
The United States installed more wind turbine capacity in 2020 than in any other year, according to a latest update from the Energy Information Administration (EIA)
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Wainscott Residents Ask Court To Block January Start Of Wind Farm Construction

By Michael Wright   12/22/21  
Attorneys for a group of Wainscott residents who are challenging the state’s approvals of the South Fork Wind power cable landing in the hamlet have asked a judge to block the early phases of the…
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Biden administration approves first offshore wind farm to supply power to New York

By Dino Grandoni   11/24/21  
President Biden’s administration greenlit a major offshore wind project to supply power to New York, arriving as part of a broader push to build out renewable energy and tackle climate change.
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Another Yes for South Fork Wind Farm

By Christopher Walsh   11/24/21  
The South Fork Wind farm took another step toward fruition on Monday when the New York State Public Service Commission approved its developers’ environmental management and construction plan.
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Inside clean energy: for offshore wind energy, bigger is much cheaper

By Dan Gearino   11/18/21  
Consumers stand to win in the race to build larger offshore wind turbines, new research shows.
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Wind Farm Cable Will Run Deeper Under Wainscott Beach, Orsted Says

By Michael Wright   11/17/21  
Representatives of Ørsted and Eversource, the companies that will be constructing the South Fork Wind farm off Montauk, told local residents this week that the final designs for the installation... more
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Could the US lead the world in floating offshore wind?

By Jason Deign   10/27/21  
The U.S., long a bystander in the rapidly growing offshore wind market, could get a shot at global leadership after a federal announcement this month.
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‘Bloody expensive.’ Major U.S. offshore wind plan hits obstacles

By Heather Richards   10/20/21  
Nearly 30 miles from shore, the two turbines spin deceptively slowly, alien steel giants fixed to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. But the lonely pair are just a hint of what Dominion Energy plans…
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Biden wants more wind energy. Those projects should help local politicians, our research finds.

By Oksan Bayulgen and Others   10/20/21  
Despite Sen. Joe Manchin III’s (D-W.Va.) opposition to investing in clean energy in the Democrats’ signature social investment bill, the Biden administration has been steadily working to advance renewable energy. In January, he signed executive…
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Report: Offshore wind supply chain worth $109B over 10 years

By Wayne Parry   10/12/21  
A group studying the economics of offshore wind energy in the U.S. says building and operating the nascent industry will be worth $109 billion to businesses in its supply chain over the next 10 years.…
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Recyclable Wind Turbine Blade Promises to End Wind Power Waste

By Eduardo Garcia   10/11/21  
Siemens Gamesa, a leading wind turbine maker, has built what it claims to be the world’s first fully recyclable wind turbine blade, a major step toward reusing tens of thousands of blades. Wind turbines are…
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The World Wants Greenland’s Minerals, but Greenlanders Are Wary

By Jack Ewing   10/01/21  
This huge, remote and barely habited island is known for frozen landscapes, remote fjords and glaciers that heave giant sheets of ice into the sea. But increasingly Greenland is known for something else: rare minerals.…
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