Google Investing Big in $5 Billion Offshore Wind Corridor

Google is investing big in offshore wind development along a large chunk of the East Coast. The proposed project will cost about $5 billion over 10 years to build a string of deepwater transmission lines that would run up to 20 miles offshore from Virginia to New Jersey.

Often one of the most expensive parts of renewable energy projects, transmission lines are crucial to the growth of clean energy in the country.  After all, there’s no benefit to a wind farm until that energy is delivered to our homes.

The 350-mile Atlantic Wind Connection will start construction in 2013.  It will be able to transmit 6,000 MW of energy from offshore wind farms, enough to power about 1.9 million homes.

The first phase, which will run 150 miles from New Jersey to Delaware in federal waters will be capable of delivering 2,000 MW of wind energy.   It will be completed by 2016 and will cost about $1.8 billion.

The entire transmission system will tie into PJM’s electrical grid that serves 13 states, plus Washington, D.C.

Google will be one-third owner of the project, while investment firm Good Energies, Japanese company Marubeni and Maryland transmission company Trans-Elect are splitting the rest.  The combined initial investment in the project runs in the tens of milions of dollars.

via Huffington Post