Offshore Wind Energy
Offshore wind power or offshore wind energy is the generation of electricity
through wind farms in bodies of water, usually at sea. .
In 2020, the U.S. offshore wind energy project development and operational pipeline grew to a
potential generating capacity of 35,324 megawatts (MW).
Installed Offshore wind power capacity
As of December 31, 2020, the global pipeline for
offshore wind energy development capacity was assessed to be 307,815 MW.
Globally, the average levelized cost of energy (LCOE)4 of fixed-bottom offshore wind energy
installations is now below $95/megawatt-hour (MWh).
Offshore wind power Forecasts
Global offshore wind energy deployment is expected to accelerate in the future, with forecasts
from 4C Offshore and Bloomberg New Energy Finance indicating a seven-fold increase in
global cumulative offshore wind capacity?to 215 GW or more by 2030 (BNEF (2020a), 4C
Offshore (2021)). As part of that predicted surge, the U.S. offshore wind energy market
continues to expand, primarily driven by increasing state-level procurement targets in the
Northeast and mid-Atlantic, an increased number of projects clearing major permitting
milestones, as well as growing vessel, port, and infrastructure investments needed to keep pace
with development.
Offshore wind Companies