Clean Projects - Citizen Partnerships for Offshore Wind
INTRO TO PROJECT
PROBLEMS
SOLUTIONS
UPDATE/DID YOU KNOW?
INTRO TO PROJECT
The Citizen Partnerships for Offshore Wind (CPOW) initiative is a project sponsored by the Civil Society Institute (CSI). CSI understands the immense contribution offshore wind power can make towards advancing a clean energy economy for the United States and reducing our dependence on unhealthy and dangerous fossil fuels.
Currently, offshore wind has political support from members of both the Republican and Democratic parties because of its great potential to provide clean energy jobs, reduce fossil fuel emissions, and decrease our dependence on foreign sources of energy, thereby strengthening national security. While this is a technology that is championed at the national level for its many environmental and social benefits, real projects cannot be built without informed and concerted support in the communities that will be directly affected by development.
Vist the full CPOW website here.
PROBLEMS
While there is much work to be done to make the permitting process more efficient and push for long-term policies that incentivize offshore wind development, there is necessary work to be done at the grassroots level to engage citizens and gain support for offshore wind. Some specific obstacles we hope to address through our project:
| • | General lack of education about energy: Currently, most people do not have any idea where their electricity comes from, or the effects fossil fuel energy have on the human and environmental health of our country. Beyond CO2 emissions and dependence on foreign oil, people need to understand the concrete air and water pollution effects of the mining, generation, and waste involved with fossil fuels. Additionally, as we do not have a single offshore windfarm built in the US, there is significant education to be done about the benefits of wind and the realities of our current energy crises and how solutions can be addressed. |
| • | People's resistance to change: Regardless of political affiliation or belief in climate change, people who live on the coast often have deep emotional attachments to their coastlines and advocating for an offshore windfarm involves pushing for a big change in that view. |
| • | Offshore wind is a technology that must be accepted by the general public in order to be built: Realistically, offshore wind will be very visible and affect the lives of the communities living nearby. Most of these effects will be positive, however, given the economics and technology of offshore wind, projects can only be built close to shore, at utility-scale, and with the acceptance of the community. |
| • | Communities' attitudes towards offshore wind will vastly affect where and when projects will be built: Support must come from the ground and the public will not allow these projects to be built over their heads. Powerful community opposition has the ability to stall projects for years, potentially to the point where they are no longer economically viable. In order for this opposition to be countered, there must be support from respected, long-time members of the community, that have real, credible information to back up their claims of benefits. |
SOLUTIONS
There is much momentum in favor of the offshore wind industry. While political, financial, and overseas support is pushing for the widespread development of offshore wind, support at the most basic community level is critical to moving forward with projects. The CPOW initiative is designed to address these obstacles at the most basic level - within the directly affected communities.
| • | Education: Given the experience of our convening organizations with community organizing around a real offshore wind project, we have the know-how and materials to assist supportive individuals/organizations educate their friends and neighbors about offshore wind in the most effective way possible. With CLEAN's background working on an array of energy advocacy issues, we are well positioned to put offshore wind as a key solution to the addressing the negative health and environmental effects from fossil fuels. We must help people who are on the fence understand that the status quo is no longer an option and we have some difficult choices to make. |
| • | Credible information: Oftentimes, the biggest advocate for a renewable energy project is the developer, who clearly has an economic incentive to gain public acceptance. As an initiative aimed at supporting offshore wind in order to ultimately better civil society, we have independence and retain the right to make sure offshore wind remains in the best interests of the communities. We are advocating for engagement in the process, not blind support for the industry. This independence allows us to advocate, but also remain a bit of a watchdog over the industry. Ultimately, we are advocates for a clean, healthy future and we see offshore wind as key to getting there. Truth of information and credibility of those spreading the info will be an immense asset towards building a movement of support. |
| • | Organized support: Opponents are inherently passionate and vocal, while supporters are most often "silent supporters". We are hoping to provide the information and strategic incentive to advocates that will help them activate their friends and neighbors to be informed, engaged, and vocally supportive. This voice of support will keep the argument from being between a developer and opponents and demonstrate that citizens see the need for these projects, eventually influencing the social and political climates towards widespread acceptance of offshore wind. By connected affected communities, we will be able to build a movement of support to maximize resources and support. |
UPDATE/DID YOU KNOW?
| • | Wind is a form of solar energy. The sun heats the air within the atmosphere unevenly, resulting in wind. |
| • | Since earliest recorded history, wind power has been used to move ships, grind grain and pump water. There is evidence that wind energy was used to propel boats along the Nile River as early as 5000 B.C. The first practical windmills were used in the 9th Century in Persia. |
| • | Turbines are designed to last for 20 years and after being decommissioned (taken down) around 80% of the turbine is recyclable. |
| • | The clean generation provided by wind capacity installed through 2008 will displace approximately 44 million tons of carbon dioxide annually (AWEA) |
| • | Reaching 20% wind energy by 2030 would reduce cumulative water consumption in the electric sector by eight percent, or four trillion gallons by 2030, with nearly 30% of the savings occurring in western states where water is particularly scarce. (AWEA) |
| • | Wind power generates no emissions; even emissions from the manufacture and installation of wind turbines are negligible. The amount of time it takes the turbine to displace the emissions created during construction is three to eight months, depending on the wind speed at the site – one of the shortest of any generation technology. (AWEA) |
| • | Currently, Europeans have 19 years of experience (since 1991) with offshore wind projects 40 projects operating in 10 countries - more under development 2063 MW of offshore wind turbines in Europe generate electricity 70–90% of the time. (AWEA) |
| • | Cape Wind received final approval from the Department of Interior in April 2010 and was granted the first lease for an offshore wind farm in US waters. The project will move forward with plans to complete construction in 2012. (AWEA) |
| • | The U.S. wind energy industry installed over 8,500 megawatts (MW) in 2008, expanding the nation's total wind power generating capacity by 50% in a single calendar year and injecting an investment of over $17 billion into the economy. These new wind projects account for roughly 42% of all the new power-producing capacity added nationally in 2008 (AWEA) |
| • | New Jersey, Virginia and South Carolina could supply 92%, 83% and 64% of their current electricity generation with offshore wind, respectively. (Oceana report) |
| • | Off the Atlantic Coast, offshore wind could generate about 30 percent more electricity than could be generated by the technically available offshore oil and gas. (Oceana) |
| • | Clean energy production creates three times more jobs per dollar invested than fossil fuel production. (Oceana) |
| • | Coastal states account for more than ¾ of US electricity consumption and offshore wind can be built close to these high-demand areas. |
| • | A September 2010 report by Oceana found that there are 127 GW of offshore wind energy economically available off the east coast of the US. Using currently available shallow water technology, offshore wind could supplant 70% of the East Coast's fossil fuel-based generation. (Oceana) |
| • | National Renewable Energy Laboratories estimates that offshore wind will create more than 20 jobs for every megawatt produced in the US. (NREL) |
| CLEAN Projects |
| Tuesday, 01 March 2011 :19 AM | |
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CLEAN's mission is to promote sustainable, cost-efficient, and healthy energy options while phasing out energy sources that are dirty, expensive, and harmful to the health of humans, animals, and the environment. Through specific projects, CLEAN advocates for the long-term security - energy, financial, and health - that all people deserve. A key to safe and clean energy is the protection of clean water and the wise and efficient use of scarce water resources. CLEAN's focus on the water-energy nexus is integral to each of our current campaigns. To learn more about the specific projects that CLEAN is working on, click below:
Citizen Partnerships for Offshore Wind Fracking Campaign (coming soon) |
