Gov. John Bel Edwards | Gov. John Bel Edwards Official photo
Gov. John Bel Edwards | Gov. John Bel Edwards Official photo
BATON ROUGE, La. – In case you missed it last week, the Times-Picayune reported that Danish Firm Vestas wants to build wind farms off the coast of Cameron and St. Mary parishes.
The story notes that with the proposed wind farms, the state is becoming a national leader in near-shore wind energy development.
See below for key excerpts:
ICYMI: Times-Picayune: Fifth wind farm bid makes Louisiana a national leader in near-shore wind energy development
By Tristan BaurickJuly 2, 2023
BATON ROUGE, La. (NOLA.com) – With at least five wind farms now proposed for the waters off Louisiana, the state is quickly becoming a national leader for near-shore wind energy development.
“Louisiana is very much a first mover on this,” said Jenny Netherton, a program manager for the Southeastern Wind Coalition. “This is all kind of new, but Louisiana is one of the only states making it an option for developing in state waters.”
This month, global renewable energy firm Vestas began negotiations with the state for potential offshore wind farms near the coasts of Cameron and St. Mary parishes, according to records from the state Department of Natural Resources.
The Danish company joins Mitsubishi-owned Diamond Offshore Wind and Kontiki Winds of Norway in offering proposals in recent weeks for wind farms in Louisiana waters, which extend about three miles from the coast.
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Much of the recent growth in the U.S.’s nascent offshore wind industry has been in far-offshore federal waters, where wind speeds are greater. But Louisiana has attracted attention with a potentially speedier approval process, strong support from Gov. John Bel Edwards and little opposition from residents or other industries
“We already have a working coast in a way that a lot of other places don’t,” said Netherton, who is based in New Orleans. While other states have large coastal populations that may object to wind turbines cluttering their ocean views, “in Louisiana, we already see oil platforms from our coast.”
Bidding on the Gulf’s first federal offshore lease areas is expected to begin this summer or early fall, but permitting and other processes likely won’t allow construction until 2030.
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ACCESS THE FULL STORY AT NOLA.com
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Original source can be found here.
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