In September 2019,
Virginia Governor
Ralph "blackface"
Northam issued
an executive order,
calling for 2.5 GW
of offshore wind
power by 2026.
It's part of
a VA plan
to have 30%
of electricity
carbon-free
by 2030,
and 100%
carbon-free
by 2050.
Virginia’s agencies,
and executive branch,
claim they will get
30% of their electricity
from renewable
resources by 2022
to set an example !
An offshore
wind facility
is being planned,
to be located
about 26 miles
off the coast
of Virginia Beach.
There is still
no realistic
cost estimate ...
but let's consider
that the Virginia
electrical utility,
Dominion Energy,
doesn't care,
because it is
regulated,
so the utility
will receive a
specified profit
on all state
authorized
expenditures.
Transmission lines
going out 26 miles
would be a significant
cost, and would spoil
the view.
North Sea
offshore wind
turbine experience
includes corrosive
effects of saltwater.
The salt water
caused corrosion,
and in-the-sea
locations, cause high
maintenance costs,
and significantly
shorten turbine life.
Consider one
potential problem
other than cost:
Virginia is affected
by a weather
condition called the
"Bermuda High".
They are extensive
high-pressure
weather systems,
offshore of the
western Atlantic
Ocean.
In the summer,
"Bermuda Highs"
create hot,
humid days
and nights,
with little wind,
in the Eastern U.S.
In plain English,
Bermuda Highs
create prolonged
heat waves,
alternating with
thunderstorms.
In Virginia, the
Bermuda Highs
often occur during
peak electricity
demand, primarily
for air conditioning.
So, Virginia's
very expensive
offshore
wind project
will generate little
or no electricity
during the
Bermuda Highs,
when electricity
is needed the most !