A GIS-Based Approach to Mapping Offshore Wind Cost-Effectiveness

Presenter

Edward Xu

Campus

UMass Amherst

Sponsor

Hernan D. Bejarano, Department of Resource Economics, UMass Amherst

Schedule

Session 1, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A37, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 2 (A21-A40) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

As the threat of climate change looms due to rising greenhouse gas emissions, domestic energy policy has aimed to generate more of the nation’s electricity from cleaner, renewable sources. Within this context, offshore wind has emerged as a potential source of electricity–harnessing stronger and more reliable wind resources offshore and mitigating some of the land-use barriers that onshore wind power plants face. However, areas where offshore wind power plants can be built cost-effectively are still limited by wind speeds, water depth, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and installation and transmission costs, to name a few variables. This study seeks to compound these geographic variables into a single analysis using ArcGIS Pro. It removes areas where wind farms are infeasible due to geographic or anthropogenic barriers. The study models generation using average wind speeds from 2008 through 2013 at 50m above sea level as collected by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. By using current offshore wind best practices and technologies, this study then generates a map of cost-effectiveness for suitable areas based on Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE). It also compares this to LCOE for onshore wind installations.  Preliminary results show a high potential for development on the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic coasts, as well as Pacific regions in Northern California and Oregon. These findings allow for further research into any one of these low-cost offshore wind sites for the potential development of power plant installations.

Keywords

GIS, Offshore Wind, Renewable Energy, Sustainability

Research Area

Environmental Science and Sustainability

SIMILAR ABSTRACTS (BY KEYWORD)