gCaptain.com released an article written by Mike Schuler titled:
Biden Administration Advances Offshore Wind Planning in Gulf of Mexico.
Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is preparing a draft environmental assessment (EA) to consider potential offshore wind leasing in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
This is Huge News for the Gulf.
They certainly have the shoreside infrastructure available to build the turbines because they have been building Offshore Oil Rigs for years and there are no bridges in the way to limit “Air Draft” requirements
As for wind, I spent 10 years in the Gulf fishing and running Offshore Oil boats and I can tell you from personal experience, while there are calm days in the summer the wind blows in the Gulf of Mexico. Yes, there are slick calm days in the summer, but in the Spring, Fall and Winter – there is plenty of wind. It might drop out for a few hours, only to catch its breath, change direction and begin blowing again.
Four Places immediately come to mind to build platforms, turbines and boats to service the Offshore Wind Industry:
- Port Arthur TX
- Cameron & Lake Charles, LA
- Mobile, AL
- Pensacola, FL
Port Arthur, TX would be an outstanding location for western Gulf support.
- Ships run in and out of Sabine Pass heading up to Port Arthur Texas regularly and there is plenty of acreage to stage supplies and construct the turbines.
- Interstate route 10 is nearby.
- They have been building Offshore Oil Platforms in the area for years and it would be a simple transition.
Cameron and Lake Charles, LA is located a few miles east of Port Arthur, TX.
- Plenty of water and shoreside locations in Cameron for vessel services.
- Up the river a little bit is Lake Charles where they have been building Offshore Oil Platforms for years so switching to Wind Turbines would be a relatively simple transition.
- Interstate route 10 is nearby
Mobile, AL could be the perfect Central area of the Gulf is Mobile, AL
- Plenty of water and shoreside locations in Mobile Bay Area
- Interstate route 10 is nearby
- They have been building big boats and Oil Platforms in the area for years and it would make for a simple transition.
Pensacola, FL would be the eastern side of the Gulf.
- Plenty of Water and shoreside locations.
- Interstate Route 10 is nearby
- They have been servicing big boats and the military for years and many of the shoreside locations could easily be renovate to handle Offshore Wind Vessels and services.
The only drawback for Offshore Wind in the Gulf of Mexico as I see it is, Offshore Wind developers plan on using Union employees and the states in the Gulf of Mexico are right to work states. I think the Unions might have a very hard time breaking into the Gulf.
Let’s see what happens – none of the area in the Gulf would face opposition from homeowners on the water because there isn’t any, and there are plenty of Offshore Oil rigs just off the coast.
The area could certainly use more jobs.
Especially since the government is doing everything they can to shut down the Oil Industry and if they are successful, the Gulf of Mexico will be in for very hard times – so why not?