What’s the Future of Offshore Wind in the US?

The Uptime Wind Energy Podcast

This week we go on a deep dive on offshore wind in the US--what's the status of projects that have been approved? Why do approvals for new sites seem to be slowing down? Is there enough manufacturing capacity to meet the transition goals? What can be done to boost wind energy growth? Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard's StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary Barnes' YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Pardalote Consulting - https://www.pardaloteconsulting.comWeather Guard Lightning Tech - www.weatherguardwind.comIntelstor - https://www.intelstor.com Allen Hall: All right, Joel, it's baseball season, and it's actually playoff baseball season. Did you have a bunch of money on the Brewers already? Joel Saxum: I don't bet on my own teams, but I love them. And my heart got ripped out of my chest last night watching that damn game. Because it was, if you didn't follow, it was 0 0 going into the seventh. We hit two back to back home runs, and the Brewers, everybody in Wisconsin was riding high, and then we had four runs rung up on us in the ninth. So there goes our playoff run. And I was looking forward to being able to josh back and forth with our weather guard, lightning tech COO about her Philly fanatic fandom. But we won't get to see them in the playoffs. Allen Hall: Well, it is fall in America, and that's when the baseball playoffs start and college football kicks off. So everything, food wise, changes. The pumpkin spice is out, Joel. Not a fan. God, please. No one's a fan of pumpkin spice? Pumpkin spice French toast, I'm a fan of, but that's the only thing. That's not bad. What about squash and cranberries? I mean, you gotta like one of those. Philip Totaro: Cranberry, I'll take cranberries. Joel Saxum: Cranberries up from northern Wisconsin, right? I grew up next to a cranberry bog. Allen Hall: Alright, this is something everybody can agree upon. Maple syrup. Two cheers for maple syrup. Sure, why not. Joel Saxum: You're from northern New York, Phil! They do maples. There's that syrup country. Sure. But I'm also not 12 years old eating a stack of pancakes anymore. Allen Hall: Welcome to the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast. I'm your host, Alan Hall, and I'll be joined by my Uptime co host. After these news headlines, in a bold move, Spain's Acciona Energy has unveiled plans for a massive 3 gigawatt wind farm in Western Australia. The project, named Bellwether, aims to install 400 turbines, each with a capacity of 6. 2 megawatts. Once operational, it could become the largest onshore wind farm outside of China, significantly boosting Australia's renewable energy capacity. Shifting to technology advancements, Weidmüller USA has introduced BoltControl, an innovative monitoring system for wind turbine blades. This system detects broken bolts in the blade root, potentially preventing costly damage and reducing downtime. The technology promises to enhance safety and efficiency in wind farm operations. In South Korea, Unison has achieved a milestone by developing the country's largest offshore wind turbine. The 10 megawatt direct drive turbine represents a significant leap in Korea's wind energy capabilities. For Unison plans to begin performance tests in October of this year, with commercialization expected by early 2026. GE Vernova has secured five new agreements in Spain, further solidifying its presence in the European wind market. The company will supply a total of 16 turbines for wind farms in Castilla, León, each with a capacity of 6. 1 megawatts. Additionally, GE Vernova will repower a wind farm in Catalonia and supply turbines for a new project in Andalusia. Lastly,