ASA in the News
2009
Providence Business News - March 28, 2009
Wind Farm Projects Could Spur National Job Boom ASA's Daniel Mendelsohn's discussion was highlighted during the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association’s recent Boston conference and trade show. By John Larrabee, PBN Contributing Writer
“Construction could create a number of jobs, in manufacturing, construction, and services, and more jobs will come once they have actually developed the wind farm,” said Daniel Mendelsohn in a recent interview with Providence Business News. “And eventually the price of oil and natural gas could go up again, while a wind farm could literally provide energy at the same price for the next 20 years.” He spoke about wind energy at the Boston conference and worked on a 2007 study for the state assessing the feasibility of producing 15 percent of the Rhode Island’s aggregate electrical demand from wind generation. Wind energy was a hot topic at this year’s conference, held March 10 to 12, because many states are now mandating that utility companies look to renewable resources. In Rhode Island, Gov. Donald L. Carcieri is pursuing a goal that calls for drawing on wind power for 15 percent of the state’s energy needs – about 1.3 million megawatt hours of electricity per year. “The topic was included in our agenda because of the interest and controversy related to the development of offshore wind projects,” said David Barclay, executive director of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. “There’s no question the role played by wind farms is going to increase dramatically in the United States in the coming decades,” he said. “[The] study done in Rhode Island in 2007 identified 10 potential offshore areas, covering about 100 square miles. All together they were capable of generating about 6 million megawatt hours a year. That’s well above the state’s goal.” Barclay agrees with the prediction of an employment boom as more wind projects get under way. “There are currently about 9 million jobs in this country that are related to renewable energy or energy efficiency. They produce just over a trillion dollars in sales revenue – more revenue than is currently generated by Wal-Mart, Exxon, and Microsoft combined,” he said. By the year 2030 it is estimated there will be 37 million jobs, according to a study the American Solar Energy Society completed last year. “Generally speaking, those will be well-paying jobs, and jobs that are not subject to being outsourced to another country,” he said. Barclay agrees with the prediction of an employment boom as more wind projects get under way. “There are currently about 9 million jobs in this country that are related to renewable energy or energy efficiency. They produce just over a trillion dollars in sales revenue – more revenue than is currently generated by Wal-Mart, Exxon, and Microsoft combined,” he said. By the year 2030 it is estimated there will be 37 million jobs, according to a study the American Solar Energy Society completed last year. “Generally speaking, those will be well-paying jobs, and jobs that are not subject to being outsourced to another country,” he said. Federal regulators at the Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service are still drafting standards for offshore wind farms, but that hasn’t stopped Rhode Island from forging ahead. State officials recently signed an agreement with a New Jersey company, Deepwater Wind, for construction of a 100-turbine project in federal waters that will power up to 120,000 homes. A second state contract with the company calls for a smaller project, with six to eight turbines, in state waters off Block Island, where federal regulators would have less control. Mendelsohn, in an interview with Providence Business News, noted the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council would also have some authority over wind farm construction, even when turbines are erected in federal waters, as the project would need a cable to carry energy to shore. He led the team that identified the state’s potential wind turbine sites while working with Applied Technology and Management in Newport. He’s now with Applied Science Associates in South Kingstown, a consulting outfit in the same field.
With that in mind, the study team looked toward the ocean. “Quite a few potential sites were found offshore,” Mendelsohn said. “About 98 percent of what we need is offshore, and 78 percent of that is in state waters. A specific site has not yet been chosen. Deepwater Wind has submitted a proposal to develop a wind farm offshore, but they haven’t said where.” The company’s plan to go into federal waters means the project will generate more jobs than first expected, he predicted. Those offshore areas are in very deep waters, and the mono-pile foundations used at many wind farms are only feasible for depths up to 75 feet. For that reason, Deepwater Wind plans to use structures similar to those used for offshore oil rigs, with four piles and latticing for stability. They would be assembled at Quonset Point. Regarding the potential for new jobs, Mendelsohn said they will come in phases. “Part of the deal that the governor’s group negotiated with Deepwater is that it needs a Rhode Island office, and it needs to manufacture something” in the state, he said. “When they do build they will have to move them, put them out there” in the water, he said. “Then there is the actual construction of the towers” on-site, including the foundation. “And there is the laying of the electric -facility infrastructure,” he added. “There may be some experts brought in” to do the work, Mendelsohn said, but he expects much of it to be done in Rhode Island. |
The development of a wind farm off Rhode Island’s coast will not only provide renewable energy for the state, but could spark a job boom as well, according to one speaker at a Northeast Sustainable Energy Association’s recent Boston conference and trade show.
For land sites, the study team looked for locations for industrial plants and other major energy users, where wind turbines could be erected alongside buildings. “That kind of energy is actually worth more, because then you’re not buying it from the grid. You’re not paying retail prices,” Mendelsohn said. “Unfortunately there were not enough of these behind-the-meter sites in Rhode Island to generate 15 percent of our energy.”