Perspectives on offshore wind farms development in Great Lakes

Source:
By:Soudeh Afsharian, Bahareh Afsharian, Maryam Shiea

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30564/jms.v2i3.1738

Abstract:

Global warming emissions and carbon dioxide caused by human activities are overloading our atmosphere which cause web of significant and harmful impacts. There are little to no global warming emissions by renewable energy. To date, offshore wind farms generally have been installed in shallow ocean-coastal areas. The Great Lakes with freshwater have shown high potential for installing offshore wind farms, and significant advantages. There are more than 5 offshore windfarms in progress at the end of 2019 in Great Lakes. The object of this study is to present the capacity and prospects of offshore wind farms development in Great Lakes. Also, the power of wind farms, barriers, issues, wind vision, advantages and disadvantages, the criteria related to the location of the offshore wind farms in Great Lakes have been analyzed and presents statistics for decision-makers, interested communities, investors and academic researchers. This paper is among the rare works that have been done in aspect of statistical and data gathering for the wind offshore in Great Lakes as the moratorium in the Canadian side and the difficulties in obtaining permissions in the American side put the offshore wind sector on pause for a long time, and recently (since 2016) it started to get some momentum. The research has been conducted based on the analysis of acts, regulations, the subject’s literature and information from websites.

References:

[1]Lazard. Levelized Cost of Energy and Levelized Cost of Storage 2019. Lazard annual Levelized Cost of Energy Analysis (LCOE 13.0), 2019. Retrieved from https://www.lazard.com/perspective/lcoe2019/. [2]BloombergNEF. What’s new in NEO 2019?. New energy Outlook 2019, 2019. Retrieved from: https:// about.bnef.com/new-energy-outlook/ [3]CANWEA. A Wind Energy Vision for Canada. Canadian Wind Energy Association,2020a. Retrieved from: https://canwea.ca/vision/ [4]CANWEA. Pan-Canadian Wind Integration Study. Canadian Wind Energy Association, 2020b. Retrieved from: https://canwea.ca/wind-integration-study/ [5]AGI. What are the advantages and disadvantages of offshore wind farms?. American Geoscience Institute,2020. Retrieved from: https://www.americangeosciences.org/critical-issues/ faq/what-are-advantages-and-disadvantages-offshore-wind-farms [6]UCS. Benefits of Renewable Energy Use. The Union Concerned Scientists, 2017. Retrieved from: https:// www.ucsusa.org/resources/benefits-renewable-energy-use [7]EPA. The Great Lakes. The United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.epa.gov/greatlakes [8]Zimmermann, K. Great Facts About the Five Great Lakes, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.livescience. com/29312-great-lakes.html [9]Nissen, J., C. Great Lakes to harness wind in country’s largest offshore wind farm. Fox2 Detroit, 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/great-lakes-toharness-wind-in-countrys-largest-offshore-wind-farm [10]McGraw, D. Can Offshore Wind Turbines Succeed in the Great Lakes?. Scientific American Energy, 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-offshore-wind-turbines-succeed-in-the-great-lakes/ [11]Afsharian, S., Taylor, P. A., Momayez, L. Investigating the potential impact of wind farms on Lake Erie. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 2020, 198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jweia.2019.104049 [12]Afsharian, S., Taylor, P. A. On the potential impact of Lake Erie wind farms on water temperatures and mixed-layer depths: Some preliminary 1-D modeling using COHERENS. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 2019, 124: 1736-1749. https://doi. org/10.1029/2018JC014577 [13]Sajadi, A., Loparo, K. A., D’Aquila, R., Clark, K., Waligorski, J. G., Baker, S. T. Great Lakes O Shore Wind Project: Utility and Regional Integration Study. The United States, 2016. DOI: 10.2172/1328159 https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1328159 [14]Mccombs, M., Mulligan, R., Boegman, L. Offshore wind farm impacts on surface waves and circulation in Eastern Lake Ontario. Coastal Engineering, 2014, 93: 32-39. DOI:10.1016/j.coastaleng.2014.08.001 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S0378383914001537 [15] NREL. Potential Economic Impacts from Offshore Wind in the Great Lakes Region. Economic Impacts of Offshore Wind: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Retrieved from: https://www.nrel.gov/docs/ fy14osti/57511.pdf [16] Loomis, D., G. The Potential Economic Impact of Offshore Wind Energy in the Great Lakes. Great Lakes Commission, 2013. Retrieved from: https://www.glc.org/wp-content/up - loads/2016/10/2013-potential-economic-impact-offshore-wind.pdf [17] Norouzi, M., Wells, E., Cioc, S., Nikolaidis, E.,Afjeh, A. Significance of ice impact on the structural integrity of a monopile offshore wind turbine in the great lakes. Proceedings of the International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference, 2013: 225-232. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288471454 [18] West Michigan Wind Assessment. Offshore Wind Energy: public perspectives and policy considerations, 2011(3). Retrieved from: https://www.michiganseagrant.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/11-204-Wind-Brief-3-Offshore.pdf [19] Ewert, D. N., Cole, J. B., Grman, E. Wind energy: Great Lakes Regional Guidelines. Unpublished report, The Nature Conservancy. Lansing Michigan, 2011. https://www.conservationgateway.org/ConservationByGeography/NorthAmerica/UnitedStates/ michigan/Documents/Ewert_WindEnergy2011.pdf [20] AWS Truewind. New York’s offshore wind energy development potential in the great lakes: a feasibility study, 2010. Retrieved from: https://aws-dewi.ul.com/assets/New-Yorks-OffshoreWind-Energy-Development-Potentila-in-the-GreatLakes.pdf [21] The Conference Board of Canada. Employment and economic impacts of offshore wind power report, 2010. Retrieved from: https://www.conferenceboard.ca/temp/2745e296-4d9f4dbe-a013-d28563186f8e/11-148_Empl-Eco-Impactof-Offshore-Wind-PowerRpt_WEBr.pdf [22] Pryor, S., Shahinian, M., and Stout, M. Offshore Wind Energy Development in the Great Lakes. A Preliminary Briefing Paper for the Michigan Renewable Energy Program, 2005. Retrieved from: https://www.fws.gov/midwest/wind/references/MichiganOffshoreRpt.pdf [23]4Coffshore. Icebreaker Offshore Wind Farm, 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.4coffshore.com/windfarms/united-states/icebreaker-united-states-us82.html [24] Saveourbeautifullake.org. Lake Erie Icebreaker Wind Turbine Fact report, 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.saveourbeautifullake.org/wp-content/ uploads/2019/06/Lake-Erie-Icebreaker-Factsdoc.-v.-11.pdf [25] Offshorewind.biz. Canadian offshore wind project moves forward, 2019. Retrieved from: https:// www.offshorewind.biz/2019/08/22/canadian-offshore-wind-project-moves-forward/ [26] NRCAN. Western Newfoundland Becoming a “Rock Solid Investment for Offshore Wind Energy. Natural Resources Canada, 2017. Retrieved from: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/cleangrowth/20417 [27] Bailey, D. Beothuk and CIP join forces for Newfoundland offshore. Wind Power monthly, 2016. Retrieved from: https://www.windpowermonthly.com/article/1410535/ beothuk-cip-join-forces-newfoundland-offshore [28] Green City Times. The Block Island Wind Farm - America’s only operational offshore wind farm, 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.greencitytimes.com/the-block-islandwind-farm/ [29] Energy.gov. Computing America’s Offshore Wind Energy Potential. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, USA, 2016. Retrieved from: https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/computing-america-s-offshore-wind-energy-potential [30] Drouin, D. After an Uncertain Start, U.S. Offshore Wind Is Powering Up. E360, 2018. Retrieved from: https://e360.yale.edu/features/after-an-uncertainstart-u-s-offshore-wind-is-powering-up [31] Canada Wind Atlas. Canada Wind Atlas, 2018. Retrieved from: http://www.windatlas.ca/index-en.php [32] EC. Canadian Atlas Level 0. Environment Canada, 2002. Retrieved from: https://collaboration.cmc.ec.gc.ca/science/rpn/modcom/eole/CanadianAtlas0.html [33] NREL.gov. U.S. land-based and offshore annual wind speed at 80 m. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), 2016. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_the_ United_States#/media/File:Wind_power_potential_ map.jpeg [34] Vortex. US WIND SPEED ANOMALY MAP 2010- 2019, 2019. Retrieved from: https://vortexfdc.com/knowledge/us-wind-speedanomaly-map-2010-2019/