George Hagerman - Environmental and Energy Study Institute

Green Power Superhighways
or Offshore Wind or Both?
EESI Capitol Hill Briefing
Washington, DC
17 July 2009
George Hagerman
VCERC Director of Research
Virginia Tech Advanced Research Institute
4300 Wilson Blvd., Suite 750
Arlington, VA 22203
Email: hagerman@vt.edu
Phone: 703-387-6030

Presentation Outline
Proposal for “Green Power Superhighway” in context
with magnitude and distribution ib ti of US wind resources
Offshore wind technology overview
Economic development benefits of offshore wind for
local maritime economies and job creation potential
Energy security and long-term price stability benefits to
U.S Navy; alignment with DOD RPS (25% by 2025)
Ongoing NREL and utility modeling of US 20% wind
scenarios will help inform policy making; recommend
expanding to include economic development impacts
and adding other renewable energy resources

Green Power Superhighway Concept
See www.awea.org/GreenPowerSuperhighways.pdf for full report

Nearly 60% of U.S. Population Lives in Atlantic,
Pacific, Gulf of Mexico or Great Lakes States
Twenty-eight coastal states in contiguous U.S. are home to 58% of population

Nearly 80% of U.S. Electricity Demand is in Atlantic,
Pacific, Gulf of Mexico or Great Lakes States
Twenty-eight coastal states in contiguous U.S. consume 78% of U.S. electrical energy

U.S. Offshore Wind Resources
Pacific NW
Class 5, 6 & 7
Gulf of Maine
Class 6
Great Lakes
Class 5 & 6
Mid-Atlantic
Class 5 & 6
S California
Class 4, 5 & 6
Great Plains
Class 3, 4 & 5
Southeast
Class 4, 5 & 6

US Offshore Wind Resources Located
Near Coastal Metropolitan Load Centers

Typical Offshore Wind Farm Layout

Monopile Foundations Driven into Seabed
and Transition Pieces Grouted on Top

Horns Rev 2-MW Turbines
Installed Using Self-Propelled A2 SEA Vessels

North Hoyle 2-MW Turbines
Installed Using Towed Seacore Jack-Up Rigs

Two-Thirds of the Capital Cost of an Offshore
Wind Project is in the Turbine & Tower Package
Turbine & Tower Package
66%

Less than One-Eighth of the Capital Cost
is in Submarine Power Cable Fabrication
Turbine & Tower Package
66%
Power Collection: 6%
Power Transmission: 5%

Nearly a Quarter of the Total Project
Capital Investment Engages the Local Economy
Turbine & Tower Package
66%
Power Collection: 6%
Power Transmission: 5%
Project Management
2%
Local Balance of Plant
21%

Wind Energy Jobs in the European Union
Breakdown by Type of Activity and per Megawatt

Secure and Price-Stable Energy Supply
for Navy’s Virginia Capes Operating Area

Secure and Price-Stable Energy Supply
for Navy’s Virginia Capes Operating Area

Secure and Price-Stable Energy Supply
for Navy’s Virginia Capes Operating Area

Secure and Price-Stable Energy Supply
for Navy’s Virginia Capes Operating Area

GIS Analysis and Mapping of Resource
Focus on 50 MMS lease blocks and avoid all excluded areas
MMS lease blocks are
4.8 km x 4.8 km, with each
block having 7 x 7 turbines.
Turbines spaced 685 m
apart (7.6 rotor diameters)
Each lease block could
contain 49 turbines
= 147 MW per block with
Vestas model V-90 3 MW
= 6.4 MW per km 2
GIS layers and
calculations by
James Madison
University

Class 6 Winds are
Largely Beyond the Visual Horizon
Photo simulation of Long Island offshore wind project
12 n.mi.

Class 6 Winds are
Largely Beyond the Visual Horizon
Photo simulation of Long Island offshore wind project
Beyond the
Territorial Sea Limit
of 12 n.mi.,
turbines would
be barely visible,
and then only on
the clearest days.
12 n.mi.

Class 6 Winds are
Largely Beyond the Visual Horizon
Photo simulation of Long Island offshore wind project
Beyond the
Territorial Sea Limit
of 12 n.mi.,
turbines would
be barely visible,
and then only on
the clearest days.
12 n.mi.
Total available
area of Class 6
beyond 12 n.mi.
is 575.6 sq.km
(142,500 acres);
could support
3,680 MW of
wind capacity.

U.S. DOE “20% Wind Energy by 2030”
ty (GW)
300
250
Offshore
Land-based
53.9 GW
offshore
ed Capaci
tive Install
200
150
100
293.4 GW
on land
Cumulat
50
2009
0
2000 2006 2012 2018 2024 2030

Ten Eastern States have Shallow-Water
Offshore Wind Resources Comparable to Demand
ME
MI
OH
NJ
DE
MA
RI
VA
NC
SC

Ten Eastern States have Shallow-Water
Offshore Wind Resources Comparable to Demand
ME
MI
MA
RI
A notional offshore wind build-out to support
the “20% Wind Energy by 2030”plan can be
estimated as 5.4 gigawatts in each of these ten
states, or 5,400 MW, to be commissioned
between 2011 and 2030. This corresponds to
each state installing one 540 MW project every
two years for the next 20 years, at which time
the first projects will be ready for re-powering.
OH
VA
NC
SC
NJ
DE

Ten Eastern States have Shallow-Water
Offshore Wind Resources Comparable to Demand
ME
MI
MA
RI
A notional offshore wind build-out to support
the “20% Wind Energy by 2030”plan can be
estimated as 5.4 gigawatts in each of these ten
states, or 5,400 MW, to be commissioned
between 2011 and 2030. This corresponds to
each state installing one 540 MW project every
two years for the next 20 years, at which time
the first projects will be ready for re-powering.
OH
VA
NC
SC
NJ
DE
Maritime regional economies in all coastal states would
Maritime regional economies in all coastal states would
benefit, but this economic development potential could be
threatened by federally funded Green Power Superhighway

NREL Eastern Wind Integration
and Transmission Study (EWITS)
Scenario 1, 20% wind penetration – Lowest Cost Wind: Utilizes
high quality wind resources in the Great Plans, with other
development in the east where good wind resources exist. Total
capacity in MISO, MAPP, and SPP approximately 185 GW.
Scenario 2, 20% wind penetration – Hybrid, with Offshore: Some
wind generation in the Great Plains is moved east, with capacity
increased in PJM, NYISO, and ISO-NE. Some offshore
development in the Northeast t and Mid-Atlantic.
ti
Scenario 3, 20% wind penetration – Load-weighted Wind
Development, Aggressive Offshore: More wind is moved east
toward load centers, with much greater offshore development.
See http://wind.nrel.gov/public/EWITS p and www.jcspstudy.org
for further information, including reports and presentations

EWITS Scenario 1

EWITS Scenario 2

EWITS Scenario 3

Scenario 1 Annual Load Weighted Wholesale
Power Cost (Localized Marginal Price)

Conclusions and Recommendations
Consideration of proposals for a federally subsidized
Green Power Superhighway should carefully weigh
impact on coastal states’ ability to develop their own
secure and sustainable energy supplies
Impact on local wholesale power prices is now being
modeled for three “20% US wind” scenarios under
the Eastern Wind Integration and Transmission
Study and results will help inform policy making
EWITS analysis should be expanded to include impact
on local economic development and job creation in
all affected states, as well as adding simulation of
other major renewable energy resources (e.g. solar,
biomass) as an integrated US energy supply system

Thank You!
Any questions?
Email: hagerman@vt.edu