Offshore wind energy project planned for Hawaii

Offshore wind energy developers have recently taken a look at possible locations in the Pacific Ocean off the Hawaiian Islands to create what would become the United States’ first floating offshore wind farm, a Hawaii renewable energy industry executive confirmed to PBN.

Thus far, there are no offshore wind farms up and running in the U.S., although there are some projects in some sort of development phase in areas such as the East Coast and Great Lakes region.

It’s been about a decade since there was a serious play to develop an offshore wind farm project off the coast of Hawaii, but there has been some recent interest from some of the major developers of this type of project.

The project would be the first floating offshore wind farm in the United States. Thus far, there are no offshore wind farms up and running in the U.S., although there are some projects in some sort of development phase in areas such as the East Coast and Great Lakes region.

Alpha Wind Energy has turned in a lease request to the U.S. Interior Department for two 51-turbine project, which total 408-megawatts, according to Rechargenews.com.

The proposed project off Oahu’s South Shore would be located 17 miles south of Diamond Head in depths of up to 700 meters and lease an area of about 12,000 acres, while the North Shore project would be located 12 miles northwest of Kaena Point in depths of up to 1,000 meters and lease an area of about 11,400 acres, according to the report. No development cost of the project was available.