Opportunities and Challenges of Offshore Wind Energy

Offshore wind power can contribute extensively to a clean, robust, and diversified U.S. energy portfolio. Capturing... » More

Offshore wind power can contribute extensively to a clean, robust, and diversified U.S. energy portfolio. Capturing the Nation's large and inexhaustible offshore wind resource has the potential to mitigate climate change, improve the environment, increase energy security, and stimulate the U.S. economy. This seminar provides a broad understanding of the global offshore wind industry today and the associated technology challenges, economics, permitting procedures, and potential risks and benefits. The presentation will address critical technology barriers and project future trends.

Walt Musial is a principal engineer and the manager of Offshore Wind and Ocean Power Systems at National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) where he has worked for 23 years. In 2003 he initiated the offshore wind energy research program at NREL and now leads that program for NREL which has recently seen a big resurgence. Recently he served on a committee to the National Academy of Science which wrote a report titled “Structural Integrity of Offshore Wind Turbines” which was published in 2011. Before NREL, Walt was employed in the commercial wind energy industry in California. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees and specialized in all aspects of renewable energy and energy conversion with a focus on wind energy. He has over 50 publications and one patent.

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