Hurricanes Pose Threat to Offshore Wind Turbines (USA)

The study from Carnegie Mellon University says that in the worst case, almost half of the proposed offshore wind turbines could be destroyed in the next 20 years by hurricanes.

The U.S. Department of Energy wants to generate 20 percent of U.S. electricity needs from wind by 2030, and they want one-sixth of this capacity to come from offshore wind turbines.

Scientists have created risk models for the four proposed offshore wind farms, three sites on the Eastern Seaboard and an area off Galveston County.

Because a typical offshore wind turbine costs USD 175 million, researchers think it is better to know those risks before the installation begins.

[mappress]

Offshore WIND staff, February 15, 2012; Image: mit