Why are there no offshore wind turbines in the United States?

There are exactly ZERO offshore wind turbines off the miles of coastline in the United States. Do you know why? I doubt anyone you ask on the street is going to have much to say about that question. It's a strange truth in this time of environmental energy upgrading. It's safe, clean and proven to work. And there's tons of wind off the U.S. shores. We drill for oil- why don't we build for wind?

Tim McDonnel at Mother Jones has a great outline of the top 4 reasons why this is so. I thought I would walk through them with a quick explanation and an idea for moving past each one.

1. Begging bucks from Uncle Sam: This translates as there is not nearly enough of a tax subsidy, the way there is for the fossil fuel industry.

Solution? Didn't we just cut a lot of spending? When we bring it back, let's spend some of it on this.

2. Blowback from "stakeholders:" This is everyone from environmentalists who argue they will get in the way of migratory birds and whales to tribal land arguments to things as basic and petty as people who live on the shore arguing NIMBY.

Solution? The federal government can just tell them all to calm down and claim some version of ocean-eminent domain.

3. Not a single ship in the Unites States is equipped to handle wind turbines: All of the ships that do this are in and from Europe, and they can't operate between U.S. "ports" without flying a U.S. flag. Hmmmm.... this is a tough one.

Solution? Make it part of the Navy's job and they'll find the funding to make it happen.

4. States and feds butting heads: The situation here is that the federal government manages the underwater land, but only the States have the power to award the construction contracts. The danger is that a wind turbine company could win one without the other and drown in debt. 

Solution? McDonnel outlines it in his article. Act like Europe and auction off the land with the contract included. Wouldn't this be a great thing for States and the feds to split 50/50 for revenue?

What are your thoughts on these reasons?

Image courtesy of phault via flickr