The Atlantic Wind Connection (AWC) will run from New Jersey to Virginia and will consist of copper wire buried beneath the sea floor with about two inches of insulation around a big fat cable–each foot will weigh roughly 30 pounds.
The AWC will have the capacity to connect 60,000 MW of offshore wind energy to the coast, which will be able to service roughly 1.9 million households.
So, why place such a big investment in putting this energy “backbone” here? What say you, official Google blog?
Many coastal areas in the United States have large population centers on
an overstretched grid but limited access to a high-quality land-based
wind resource. These coastal states can take advantage of their most
promising renewable resource by using larger wind farms with larger
turbines that can take advantage of stronger and steadier winds
offshore.The Mid-Atlantic region is ideally suited for offshore
wind. It offers more than 60,000 MW of offshore wind potential in
relatively shallow waters that extend miles out to sea. These shallow
waters make it easier to install turbines 10-15 miles offshore, meaning
wind projects can take advantage of stronger winds and are virtually
out-of-sight from land.
Once implemented, the project hopes to be able to spur the rapid development of offshore wind farms by removing bureaucratic hurdles and infrastructure investments needed to connect new individual farms to the shore. (BTW, despite their promise of clean, renewable energy, there are currently no operating offshore wind farm projects in US waters. Only last week was the very first federal lease signed that would allow for a wind turbine construction on the Outer Continental Shelf).
Even before future wind farms are completed, the AWC will be able to transfer cheaper energy from Virginia up to densely-populated and power-hungry New Jersey.
The AWC will be constructed by transmission company Trans-Elect and financed by Google, Good Energies and Marubeni Corporation.
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