Wind power in the United States
The 2011 NREL report, "Large-Scale Offshore Wind Power in the United States", analyzes the current state of the offshore wind energy industry. According to the report, offshore wind resource development would help the country to achieve 20% of its electric power from wind by 2030 and to revitalize the manufacturing sector. Offshore wind could supply 54 gigawatts of capacity to the nation's electrical grid, thereby increasing energy security. It could also generate an estimated $200 billion in new economic activity and create thousands of permanent jobs. NREL’s report concludes that "the development of the nation’s offshore wind resources can provide many potential benefits, and that offshore wind energy could play a vital role in future U.S. energy markets".
List of offshore wind farms in the United States
Offshore wind power is in the early stages of development in the United States. The first commercial offshore wind farm – the 30 megawatt (MW) Block Island Wind Farm off the coast of Rhode Island – only began operation in 2016. However, many more projects are now underway as developers realise the potential of this abundant resource. As of today, about 30 projects totalling 24 gigawatts (GW) of potential installed capacity are being planned. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the country has a gross resource potential of 10,800GW of offshore wind capacity, with a "technical" resource potential of 2,058GW.