Last month, a meeting was held in a small hotel in New Bedford City, Massachusetts (hereinafter referred to as “Massachusetts”). A meeting like this is determining the future of clean energy. The residents of this small town gathered to express their opinions and discuss the offshore wind power project proposed by Vineyard Wind. So far, similar projects have not progressed well in the United States; opponents have even blocked some large offshore wind farms. Although lobster farmers are concerned that the power plant will have a negative impact on local crustaceans, proponents strongly advocate that the project will bring new jobs, and officials responsible for supervising the project will even provide heart-shaped chocolates at the conference check-in. The opposition to the voice has gradually subsided. If the Vineyard Wind project receives the required approval, the project will be eye-catching as the first large offshore wind farm in the United States. Construction of the project may begin before the end of this year.
    After nearly 20 years of struggle, offshore wind power is ready to sweep the US waters. In February of this year, a number of European energy giants such as Royal Dutch Shell, EDF, Equinor and Orsted participated in the first offshore wind power project in New York State. The results of the bidding will be announced this spring. From New Hampshire to Virginia, other plans are moving forward. A total of nearly 17,000 megawatts of offshore wind power projects have been officially approved by the US states. The increase in the US market is almost equal to the size of the entire European offshore wind power market. But for wind farm generators, the US market is still in jeopardy. The voice of opposition is still lingering, and the US lacks a local supply chain to support the construction of turbines. The port itself does not seem to be able to deal with everything. ). For global energy companies, these are huge risks, but they may also be offset by potential gains.
    More than 4,000 wind turbines have been put into operation on the European coastline. In contrast, although the northeastern United States has shallower waters, faster winds, and millions of consumers with strong energy needs, there are only five small wind turbines near Rhode Island (equipped with five small turbines, It can generate 30 megawatts of electricity) in operation. The most famous offshore wind power project in the United States, "Cape Wind Power Generation" has not yet started. Since the project was proposed in 2001, developers have been unable to negotiate with fishermen and wealthy island owners such as the Kennedy family for 16 years. Although these island owners are also concerned about global climate change, in contrast, they pay more attention to the broad vision. In the face of this stalemate, developers are turning their attention to Europe or the Midwestern United States, because these places are not only the source of the wind, but residents are also accustomed to using land for entertainment and other practical functions.
    The situation is changing and technology is improving. Compared to the past, project operators are now able to build larger wind turbines in areas farther offshore. These turbines are larger and more efficient, and several turbines produce the same amount of power as before, and the cost is reduced. Thanks to the preferential federal tax credit policy, the Vineyard Wind project will supply electricity to Massachusetts at a price of 6.5 cents per kWh, which is roughly equivalent to the price of a German offshore wind farm.
    State policies have also promoted the development of the wind power industry. For example, the governors in the Northeast are keen to self-proclaim themselves with “green development” to get votes for people who care about climate change. However, there is not enough land in the northeast for solar or wind power plant construction. In 2016, Massachusetts passed a law requiring state public utilities to have an installed capacity of 1600 megawatts of offshore wind power over the next decade, provided that the quotation is reasonable. Other northeast governors have followed suit, and they are more optimistic after the Vineyard Wind announced a low price. So far, the Trump administration has expressed support for these policies.
    Wind power investment frenzy has followed. In 2015, the US government auctioned out a sea area in Massachusetts for a transaction price of US$281,285. For this price, Thomas Brostrom, head of North America's Wo Xu Energy, said, "It is clear that the US new energy market is bleak." However, at the most recent auction in Massachusetts last December, the rents for each sea area were sold at a price that was more than 400 times higher than before. European developers are struggling to win leased areas, and some even use American-style naming for this purpose. In Massachusetts, for example, Bay State Wind is a subsidiary of Orsted Energy; the Portuguese Garden Wind is a company of the Copenhagen Infrastructure Corporation (CIP) and a subsidiary of the Spanish power company Iberdrola; Mayflower Wind ( Mayflower Wind is a joint venture between Shell and EDPR and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain. German utility power company Enbw not only participated in the bidding of wind power in the east coast of the United States, but also stared at the offshore waters of California (the California shelf is steep and requires floating wind turbines that have not yet been used on a large scale).
    Despite the enthusiasm of the governors of the states, major companies still need to obtain various leases to sign various contracts in order to sell electricity to local public utilities. For Denmark's Orsted, only one wind energy project requires more than 20 licenses and approval certificates from the federal, state, and prefecture agencies. Orsted spent $510 million on the acquisition of Deep Water Wind, one of the few offshore developers in the United States, partly to help it deal with the cumbersome local regulations. Regulations.
    Even if the company handles these rules, there are other factors that will lead to increased costs. There are no large generator manufacturers in these areas, and the company must bear the cost of importing related parts from Europe. However, there is a (European) clause with a legal effect for 99 years that they cannot use a special European vessel to carry a generator, and similar US vessels do not yet exist. In addition, there are not enough ports for large and heavy generator parts to be placed. The Wind Energy Production Tax Credit Act (PTC) is due to expire in 2020, so all states in the United States are scrambling to hold auctions. But inevitably, many unsettled projects will not be entitled to the benefits of this bill in the future. This may lead to an increase in the price of electricity generated by wind power.
    Energy consulting firm Wood Mackenzie predicts that offshore wind power projects will slow down after the tax breaks are terminated; by the mid-1920s, with the development of technology and related plants in the United States When the construction starts, the growth rate will rise again. The states are also competing to support the future growth of the industry. “My goal is to make Massachusetts a Danish wind power industry in North America,” says Stephen Pike. He led and promoted Massachusetts' move towards a green economy.
    At the same time, the Portuguese Garden is gradually advancing its projects. In January, the company signed an agreement with the Natural Resources Conservation Association to commit to regular construction to avoid disturbing the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Rhode Island fishermen are concerned about turbines at sea, and the company is also negotiating with them in the near future. Lars Pedersen, CEO of the Portuguese Garden, remains optimistic about this. He said, "Although the wind power industry is a challenge to the current regulatory system, it is easy to cause litigation, but if it can bring jobs and provide clean energy at reasonable prices, I believe this is a huge opportunity."