The push to find alternative energy sources continue with governments around the world looking at viable alternatives for generating clean electricity from renewable sources. Just about every developed country in the world have announced some sort of renewable energy target to, at the very least, reduce the dependence on fossil fuels if not for climate change reasons then for pollution reasons.
Wind power continues to grow as a reliable supplier of electricity although the number of sites available for wind farm construction is falling for a number of reasons. One of the chief reasons that construction is delayed and projects have difficulty gaining government approval stems from local groups who oppose projects on the grounds that the wind turbines make too much noise or are ugly. (They always seem to ignore the fact that their present source of electricity, which is invariable a coal-burning power plant, is a much uglier and unhealthy alternative).
Increasingly, the answer to this opposition is to locate the wind farms offshore, beyond hearing and seeing distance of local residents. Given the vast expanse of oceans suitable for constructing giant wind farms, the potential power that might be generated is enormous. Currently the offshore wind power industry is still pretty much in its infancy, but projects are being proposed and funding is being secured at an increasing rate. Costs are still high and there are many more contingencies to be considered when constructing the wind farms and then connecting them to electricity grids.
For more information about planned projects as well as projects already in commercial operation you can visit this offshore wind power page.
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