United States

There are no offshore wind farms in the United States. In 2009, U.S. wind power – all of which is produced onshore – produced slightly less than two percent of the nation’s electricity supply. The Department of Energy (DOE) issued a  report in 2008 finding that the United States could produce 20 percent of its electricity from wind by 2030. To reach the  20 percent level, 293 GW of wind energy would need to be added, including 50 GW of offshore wind, according to the  DOE scenario which considered resource potential, technologies, and costs. In September 2010, DOE released  a  strategic work plan for achieving 54 GW of offshore wind power at a cost of 7-9 cents per kilowatt-hour by 2030.

Most potential offshore wind sites are relatively close  to major urban load centers where energy costs are high and land for onshore wind development is limited. Of the 48 contiguous states, 28 have a coastal boundary on the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, or Great Lakes. Those  28 states consume 78 percent of the nation’s electricity, and many states have enough offshore wind potential to  meet 100 percent of their electricity needs.