When people talk about the big picture, it is usually a metaphor. But in the case of offshore wind energy, it's a lot more than that.
As this week's cover story and photo, "Will being first pay off for Ocean State?" make clear, offshore wind is big on many fronts.
Yes, the wind turbines are massive, larger than anything that has been built onshore in Rhode Island, and as such they hold much greater potential to generate significant amounts of electricity.
But the bigger picture here is figurative as well as literal.
Rhode Island is sitting at the head of the line for developing the offshore wind energy industry in the United States, given that the Block Island wind farm is about to become operational. And while the "first-mover advantage" is illusory in many industries, in this case, it is likely to be important to the development of an entire manufacturing sector in the Ocean State.
There are only so many sites off the U.S. coast that will work for utility-scale wind turbines. By showing that it can build them (and make them work here), Rhode Island-based Deepwater Wind sits in a strong position when bidding on the limited number of future projects. And hundreds of jobs ride on the construction of new offshore wind farms.
While most people can agree that developing renewable energy is a good idea, many have opposed the investment the state has made in helping Deepwater Wind become a player in the field. At this point, it should be obvious that the effort is about to bear some significant fruit. •