ROCKMAN wrote:U - Perhaps a reduction in the cost of the turbines...but cheaper than onshore turbines at that time? And are you expecting those very expensive support structures to also decrease in costs? I haven't seen any cost estimate for the structures to be built off the east coast of the US. But I'm very familiar with the cost of offshore platform and I'll bet they are greater than the turbines themselves. Likewise maintenance will be significantly more offshore then onshore.
But the bottom line: when will it cost the same to set a wind turbine 10 miles off the coast as setting it 10 miles inland from the coast?
Rockman,
I can only use the German far off-shore wind turbines, which are the worst case scenario, as reference: The turbine contributes to less than 30% of the overall costs, in comparison 80% in case of onshore. Therefore, the highest savings can be expected in the logistic chain, here more industrial production of the stuff, optimized procedures etc. promise >20% cost reduction until 2020. Windpower (esp. offshore) is when we talk about sophistication of production where cars were 1960, i.e. lot room for improvements.
Near off-shore is of course not competitive to onshore wind in costal regions, and will not be in future. Far off-shore may makes sense when you improve the CF significantly, possible in Germany, not really possible in the USA. Personally, I would not build offshore wind in the USA, onshore plus more transmission capacity is very likely much cheaper.