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Thursday, Jul. 23, 2020

Are offshore wind turbines one of the most expensive ways to generate electricity?

Claire Zimmerman, Gigafact Foundry
yes

While wind energy can be cost-competitive with other generation methods, erecting turbines in open water adds significantly to its costs. According to a 2019 analysis of U.S. power usage, electricity generated from offshore wind turbines is among the most expensive sources, along with coal, nuclear and some solar sources. The analysis used "levelized" estimates to compare costs of building and operating different types of generation capacity.

Offshore wind energy is not yet widespread, and forecasts for installation and maintenance are somewhat speculative. A U.S. government agency projects that electricity from new offshore wind capacity coming onstream in 2023, at $106.50 per megawatt-hour after factoring in tax incentives, would be about triple the cost of onshore wind power.

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