Offshore wind energy experts met in Waltham on Wednesday to discuss the use of Cape Wind Development as springboard for further offshore wind development in the US, writes South Coast Today.
Fara Courtney, executive director of the U.S. Offshore Wind Collaborative, Bill White, director of offshore wind for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, Mark Rogers, spokesman for Cape Wind and Joel Whitman, former CEO of Global Marine Energy were among many who attended this meeting.
Even though the industry is developing components for wind energy development, the US is still waiting for the first offshore wind turbine.
Meanwhile, New Bedford is developing South Terminal project, one of the highest capacity ports in the world, mainly to accommodate the construction of offshore wind turbines, not just for Cape Wind but for other wind energy projects as well.
“Smoking hot industry,” were the words which Whitman used to describe the offshore wind industry.
He said: “This is the first time you can produce an amount of energy that is competitive with other sources that will help and not hurt the environment.”
“Massachusetts hasn’t had a home-grown energy industry since whaling. That wasn’t so green, but New Bedford’s making up for it this time around by getting in at the ground floor.”
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Offshore WIND staff, January 31, 2013; Image: Massachusetts Clean Energy Center Plans