TY - RPRT
TI - Supporting National Environmental Policy Act Documentation for Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy Development Related to Microclimates
AU - Middleton, P
AU - Barnhart, B
AB - Offshore wind energy is a valuable resource to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide, and reduce the effects of climate change. Efforts to expand offshore wind energy to combat the effects of climate change are increasing along the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf in the United States. Sales of offshore wind leases are increasing, along with the development of leases along the Atlantic coast. Accompanying this growth in development is the public interest in wide-ranging aspects about wind energy and the effects offshore wind has on the environment.Recently, questions have been raised regarding microclimates within offshore wind farms and how these phenomena may affect the local climate and the overall global climate. Wind energy developers and scientists have studied microclimates generated by turbines and the associated downwind turbulence for decades to improve wind farm layout efficiency and energy production. More recently, research has been focused on the downwind effects of wind turbines on climate. The purpose of this white paper is to explain how microclimates are formed within offshore wind facilities and show that while microclimate effects are important for planning purposes, the effects are negligible onshore and to the overall climate.
DA - 2022/02//
PY - 2022
SP - 15
PB - Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)
SN - BOEM 2022-005
LA - English
KW - Wind Energy
KW - Fixed Offshore Wind
KW - Changes in Flow
KW - Physical Environment
ER -