The Independent View: Wind Farm With Floating Turbines Proposed For Washington Coast

A Seattle-based Wind Energy Developer, submitted a Proposal this week, to develop the Largest Offshore Wind Farm on the West Coast, seeking to take advantage of a Technology for Floating Turbines that has Not yet found a Home in the U.S. The company, Trident Winds, outlined its Plan in an unsolicited Request filed late last month, to the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management.

The Project, known as Olympic Wind, would involve the Construction of Washington State’s First Commercial-scale Offshore Wind Farm, to be located roughly 43 miles off the Coast of the Olympic Peninsula, Trident said. Under the proposedPplan, Construction could begin on the Project as early as 2028.

If approved, the Project would provide up to 2,000 megawatts of Clean Energy to roughly 800,000 homes, providing the Largest source of Wind Power on the West Coast, according to company CEO, Alla Weinstein.

Floating Technologies would be transformative for the Offshore Wind Power sector in the West. Until now, Offshore Turbines in the U.S. have been constructed on "fixed-bottom turbines" atop massive step pillars or other structures, making development on the Pacific Ocean, which is home to steep drop-offs from the continental shelf, all but impossible. But New Technology, such as the kind that would be used in the Olympic Wind Project, allows for the installation of Wind Turbines on Floating Platforms tethered to the Ocean floor.

“The Olympic Wind Project is poised to be the first floating, commercial scale offshore wind installation off the coast of Washington State,” Weinstein said in a Statement. “The Project will harness our unlimited, carbon-free offshore wind resources for the benefit of all Washingtonians.”

Now that the Proposal is filed, the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management will begin conducting an initial Review to determine whether Trident meets its legal, technical, and financial requirements. The Bureau can also issue a “request for interest” assessing whether other companies are interested in building Turbines off the Coast of Washington.

News of the Trident Wind proposal also comes as the Biden Administration has sought to advance its Clean Energy agenda, including through the Development of Offshore Wind Power Projects.

The Administration has set a goal of deploying roughly 30,000 megawatts of Offshore Wind Energy by the year 2030, and plans to offer some $3 billion in Federal Loans dedicated to Offshore Wind Projects to help meet that Goal. Trident’s Project could go a long way in helping the Administration meet that Goal.

Weinstein promised that Trident would partner with Locals to maximize Community Benefits. “We believe strongly that all voices matter and look forward to working with stakeholders to form strong partnerships that maximize benefits for surrounding communities,” she said in a Statement.