Wind Power Conference a Winner

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About 1,500 wind industry leaders, government officials and business executives recently met at the Atlantic City Convention Center to discuss wind-energy opportunities.

By Ray Schweibert

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Oct. 20, 2010

Earlier this month the Atlantic City Convention Center hosted an inaugural, three-day North American Offshore Wind Conference and Exhibition that included several scientists and environmentalists educated on using wind as an alternative energy source.

Among the keynote speakers were U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, and American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) CEO Denise Bode. The AWEA collaborated with the Canadian Wind Energy Association to bring the convention to A.C., as New Jersey’s offshore wind potential and past support of the industry were contributing factors, according to a release to the media.

This past July, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed the Offshore Wind Economic Development Act into law that will provide $100 million in tax credits for offshore wind developments in the Atlantic Ocean, and will connect to the New Jersey power grid. The capacity of wind power for electric generation has already been demonstrated at the Atlantic County Utility Authority’s wastewater treatment plant in Atlantic City, where five 1.5-megawatt wind turbines have been saving the ACUA several hundred thousand dollars annually on electricity since they were installed in 2005.

“Developing and investing in renewable energy resources such as wind power are key to the future economic growth and the creation of green jobs in New Jersey and along the Atlantic Coast Region,” said Guadagno at the conference. “For New Jersey in particular, it will provide us with an opportunity to leverage our vast resources and innovative technologies, allowing businesses to engage in new and emerging sectors of the energy industry. By growing and strengthening the economy in this manner, we will make New Jersey a home for growth as well as a national leader in the wind power movement.”

Along with the keynote speakers, the conference also included about 1,500 wind-industry leaders, government officials and business executives discussing wind-energy opportunities throughout the coastal and lake regions of North America. The exhibition floor featured about 120 exhibiting companies from the offshore wind market.

The highlight of the conference was the recent signing of a 28-year lease with the federal government for the country’s first offshore wind project to be built off the coast of Massachusetts. When completed, the wind farm will consist of 130 wind turbines capable of generating 468 megawatts of power at peak output, with an average anticipated output of 182 megawatts. Average output would be sufficient to power more than 200,000 homes in Massachusetts. The conference also included discussion of future plans by a New Jersey-based company called Fishermen’s Energy for a six-turbine wind farm about three miles off the coast of Atlantic City.

“Our nation’s energy policy is at the forefront of the [Department of the Interior’s] agenda,” said Salazar during the conference. “Now more than ever, we must embrace the energy potential our lands and oceans hold.”