When It Comes To Developing Offshore Wind Power, Northeastern States Will Likely Surpass Texas

Texas excels in developing technology for its terrestrial wind turbines, but the state’s wind industry is far from expanding offshore because of the dominance of natural gas fracking.

By Michael MarksMay 16, 2019 1:24 pm,

For years, news outlets have reported on the possibility that offshore wind will be the future of the U.S. energy industry. In reality, it’s been a slow-growing sector. But Chris Tomlinson, an opinion columnist for the Houston Chronicle, says that may be changing.

Tomlinson says offshore wind started to gain popularity just before the hydraulic fracturing – or fracking – boom about a decade ago. Then, it fizzled because it wasn’t competitive.

“Fracking came along and made natural gas very, very cheap,” Tomlinson says.

But he says that natural gas – much of which is produced in Texas – doesn’t make its way to the population-dense Northeast because people in that region don’t want a cross-country pipeline. As a result, he says they’re interested in local alternatives like offshore wind.

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– How European countries have excelled at using offshore wind, and how they provide a template for what can be done in the U.S.

– How technology used at Texas’ terrestrial wind farms could be applied to future offshore wind farms in the Northeast

– Why cities in the Northeast likely won’t end up using wind-derived energy from Texas

 

Written by Caroline Covington.