If voters decide in November to keep the cap-and-invest program, the state has plans that could bring the technology to its coastal waters.
by John Stang in Crosscut/ July 23, 2024
In an August 2016 photo, three wind turbines from Deepwater Wind stand in the water off Block Island, R.I., the nation’s first offshore wind farm. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Washington is considering dipping its toes in the world of offshore wind turbines. By 2026, the state will likely decide whether to take a plunge.
But that depends on whether Washington voters decide to retain the state’s cap-and-invest program, which raises money from carbon-producing companies to invest in green energy and pollution mitigation.
An offshore turbine is a windmill-like turbine that looks and operates like the ones found on land – only much bigger.
Most offshore turbines are along the coasts of Europe and East Asia. The United States has two commercial-sized offshore wind turbine farms capable of producing a total of 42 megawatts, compared to the worldwide production 64,300 megawatts. (continued)