Does Oregon’s Energy Future Include Floating Offshore Wind Turbines?
Fixed-bottom foundations vs. floating offshore wind. National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Most Oregonians are probably familiar with onshore wind turbines – tall, fan-like structures dotting the landscape of the Columbia River basin and other windy areas of the state – that generate renewable electricity for the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
As more utilities look to replace fossil-fuel resources with more economic renewable resources, another type of wind energy – offshore wind – is emerging as a potential option for the United States. Offshore wind turbines are located in windy waters off coastal shores, away from land. In our 2020 Biennial Energy Report, we provided a deep dive on this topic with our Offshore Wind Policy Brief.
Currently, offshore wind costs more than its land-based cousin. Offshore wind turbines must be anchored to the sea floor. Fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines are installed where waters are shallow and the turbines can be directly anchored into the sea floor. Where waters are deeper – like those along the Oregon coastline – floating offshore wind turbines are fixed atop floating platforms that are then indirectly anchored to the sea floor below (see image at right). Floating offshore wind is much more complex and expensive than fixed-bottom – and for both types of offshore wind, building transmission infrastructure to move electricity generated at sea to the mainland grid can also be complex and expensive.
While offshore wind has higher costs, it could also provide additional benefits, including larger and more consistent power outputs than land-based wind turbines, since offshore wind speeds are generally stronger and more constant.
So far, offshore wind is more popular in European countries, where large amounts of fixed-bottom offshore wind in shallow waters are operating. Fewer than a dozen floating offshore wind projects are installed across the world, with over half of the floating offshore megawatts coming from a single project off the coast of Scotland. While the East Coast of the U.S. has two operating fixed-bottom offshore wind projects, the country has yet to deploy any floating offshore wind.
U.S. Wind Map of Areas w/ High Offshore Wind Resource Values. National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Thanks to strong average wind speeds, ocean locations off the California and Oregon coastlines offer some of the highest potential for U.S. floating offshore wind projects. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimated that Oregon has a potential capacity of up to 60 gigawatts of energy off our coast (that’s a lot!).
Does this mean floating offshore wind is in Oregon’s energy future? We don’t know yet. The Oregon Legislature has directed the Oregon Department of Energy to complete a study on the benefits and challenges if the state were to integrate up to three gigawatts of floating offshore wind by 2030. We’ll review existing studies and engage with interested stakeholders over the next year, then submit our report to the Legislature in September 2022. You can sign up for email updates and keep an eye on our website for more information.
Additional Resources:
Check out Oregon’s Electricity Resource Mix – where does your electricity come from?
Offshore Wind Policy Brief – 2020 Biennial Energy Report
Wind Resource Review – 2020 Biennial Energy Report
Floating Offshore Wind Study – ODOE Webpage