A Mighty Winds A Blowin: Intro to Offshore Wind with Dr. David Bidwell

October 4, 2020

Our fist episode diving into the world of offshore wind!

On this  episode, Peter and Tyler catch up with Dr. David Bidwell, University of Rhode Island / Department of Marine Affairs to talk about the coming wind power boom along the Northeast shoreline of the U.S.  David's been studying the emerging industry for years and has the  pulse on the issue.  Recent federal actions -- a NEPA review slowdown and new FERC rules that punish renewable power producers -- may not slow the inevitable outcome.  Along the NE coast where dense urban communities line the shoreline, wind power is cheaper and more efficient than the old coal power plants. Europe is light years ahead of the U.S. when it comes to wind, dominating both the race to market and the technology to install and run the systems.  Seems the U.S. is happy to bring up the rear these days but that is beginning to change.

Show Transcription
This transcription was generated by a computer. Please excuse any errors.
Peter Ravella & Tyler Buckingham

Peter and Tyler joined forces in 2015 and from the first meeting began discussing a project that would become Coastal News Today and the American Shoreline Podcast Network. At the time, Peter and Tyler were coastal consultants for Pete’s firm, PAR Consulting, LLC. In that role, they worked with coastal communities in Texas, Florida, and North Carolina, engaged in grant writing, coastal project development, shoreline erosion and land use planning, permitting, and financial planning for communities undertaking big beach restoration projects. Between and among their consulting tasks, they kept talking and kept building the idea of CNT & ASPN. In almost every arena they worked, public engagement played a central role. They spent thousands of hours talking with coastal stakeholders, like business owners, hotel operators, condo managers, watermen, property owners, enviros, surfers, and fishermen. They dived deep into the value, meaning, and responsibility for the American shoreline, segment-by-segment. Common threads emerged, themes were revealed, differences uncovered. There was a big conversation going on along the American shoreline! But, no place to have it. That's where CNT and ASPN were born.