OCEAN WIND PROJECTS CAN BE A HURRICANE BARRIER

Offshore Wind Turbines Could Tame Hurricanes; Huge Arrays of Windmills Could Protect U.S. Coastal Cities—and Produce Power

Peter S. Green, Sept. 28, 2014 (Wall Street Journal)

"…A study by scientists at Stanford University and the University of Delaware suggests that U.S. coastal cities could be spared [from hurricanes] by installing tens of thousands of gigantic wind turbines offshore in arrays up to 20 miles long…[Computer models] show that the giant turbines—with blades more than 400 feet across, and hubs nearly 330 feet above the water—would cut the wind's force by about half…During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, to cite an example from the study, having 78,000 turbines off the coast of New Orleans would have reduced the storm surge that swamped the city by as much as 71% and cut wind speeds by as much as 57%...The study's authors propose 121,000 7.5-megawatt turbines or 181,000 five-megawatt turbines along the U.S. coastline, for total costs of $2.7 trillion, or about $77 billion a year over 35 years…[They could] produce 20% of all U.S. power by 2050…

“…[A commercial lending and leasing services expert said] it would be impossible to secure financing…[and siting and erecting 120,000 towers near coasts and shipping lanes would be [impossible]…[A Stanford professor said sea walls would] cost $30 billion for one city…[and] New York City plans to spend $20 billion over 10 years to improve the city's ability to withstand another major storm…[A New York Harbor wind project would cost $210 billion but] be repaid within 20 to 30 years by selling the electricity that the turbines generate.” click here for more

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