New Jersey Approves Deep Water Wind Farm: See What Offshore Wind Turbines Look Like at Various Distances
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada 
on 10. 6.08
New Jersey Offshore Wind Farm
New Jersey has approved a new huge offshore wind farm (346 megawatts). The 96 turbines will be installed in a grid pattern between 16 and 20 miles from land. The project, which would be in deeper water than most other offshore wind farms, would cost more than $1 billion and wouldn't start producing electricity until 2013. The state has set itself a goal of 20% renewable energy by 2020.
NIMBY or No Big Deal?
As you can see from the image above, turbines that are between 15 and 20 miles away are very hard to see. This should help with the Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) factor. Read on for more details.
Because the wind blows more reliably during the day farther off shore, the company hopes to get better prices for the power it produces. And by putting the turbines that far offshore, the company hopes to blunt opposition from environmentalists and residents who say that turbines diminish ocean views and damage wildlife.
The company expects the wind farm to produce enough power for them to break even in about 7 years.
What's the Next Step?
Next, Garden State Offshore Energy (the joint venture that wants to build the wind farm) needs to seek permits from state and federal agencies. It also needs commitments from manufacturers to build the turbines, which would be assembled in New Jersey and could potentially create hundreds of new jobs.
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15 miles seems to be a sweet spot. At 20 miles, it's hard to see how anyone could complain.
Even at 10 who can really complain. People in my county buy waterfront property to gaze upon a coal fired plant across the river.
Even 5 miles isn't that bad, IMO, but then, I like how wind turbines look.
It looks to me that the target areas off the Jersey coast and other places in the mid-atlantic region are at least 15 miles offshore. Check out the map I made for this topic on my blog at:
http://blogs.edf.org/climateatlas/2008/10/03/big-offshore-wind-farm-approved-for-new-jersey/
are there any reasons this wouldn't be a good idea? seems great to me.
i live in NJ, at the beach, and I'd actually LIKE to see them in my backyard... it means we're doing something productive!
Although I think this project is something positive, I'd like to remind you that environmental impact isn't measured by visibility.
"Although I think this project is something positive, I'd like to remind you that environmental impact isn't measured by visibility."
Exactly.
But life's a tradeoff.
You also have to look at how electricity would be generated instead if the wind farm doesn't get built, and it that has a bigger impact.
15 to 20 mi. offshore? That'll require some adventurous technicians. Problem with being so far off is response time to a problem. Adding alomst an hour since you cannot locate your service center in the middle off your park. Best of Luck NJ.
I can totally understand the NIMBY-people. I suppose rising black smoke from a deteriorating brick chimney and the smell of diesel by-products seeping from a tainted tank evokes some fond warm and fuzzy feelings that the cool, sleek and aerodynamically optimal dynamic white composite structures try to smother so hard;)
When one turbine has a problem, it doesn't take down the whole network does it? Adding an hour or two to repairs that are likely to take several hours or days anyway doesn't seem that big a deal to me.
I live in New Jersey and this is the first I have heard of an offshore wind farm being built in the state. I support wind power and I'm happy to see plans for an offshore wind farm.
Regarding the distance; I like the look of wind turbines and would be ok with them being positioned any distance from the shoreline.
Offshore wind farms have the benefit of minimal noise pollution. The crashing of the waves on the shoreline is much louder than the sound of a wind turbine.