Huge NJ wind farm wins approval
New Jersey regulators have awarded rights to build a huge offshore wind farm in the southern part of the state to a joint venture consisting of Garden State Offshore Energy and P.S.E.G Renewable Generation.
The proposal includes 96 turbines which will be able to produce as much as 326 megawatts of electricity, enough to power tens of thousands of homes.
The turbines will be between 16 and 20 miles off of the New Jersey coast, and therefore in much deeper water than other projects. Deepwater Wind, which will work with P.S.E.G., says it will use the same technology used to build oil and gas rigs in the Gulf of Mexico to build these deepwater turbines. Building the turbines that far out has two benefits: the wind blows more reliably the further off shore and the project should generate less opposition with regards to ocean views and wildlife.As you can see from the illustration above, distance certainly makes a difference.
[ Via NY Times]
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