New England Energy Market … and Higher Ed … Look to Catch a Second Wind
By Dan Kuchma, David Cash, Fara Courtney, Jerome Hajjar, Eric Hines, Anthony Kirincich, Steven Lohrenz, James Manwell and Chris Niezrecki
Europe has already invested heavily in large-scale offshore wind energy (OWE). In the coming decades, the U.S. will similarly commit hundreds of billions of dollars to building and operating OWE capabilities that can compete with fossil fuel-based electricity.
And New England could lead the way, according to a team of experts writing in NEJHE. Among the region’s various advantages: offshore winds that are up to twice as powerful as other regions in the U.S.; high electricity demands and costs; thousands of megawatts in pending plant retirements; the creation in Massachusetts of the first commercial-scale offshore wind market; Rhode Island’s construction of the first American offshore wind farm; and Maine’s leadership in deepwater floating-turbine technologies. And of course, New England’s institutions of higher education—long leaders in ocean studies and environmental public policy, will now be charged with educating the talent to power the wind industry.