Google has recently announced to have invested in a $5 billion project that consists in building a transmission backbone. The connection, called Atlantic Wind Connection would be a 350-mile power transmission linking wind turbines of 6,000 MW capacity.
The backbone will connect various offshore wind farms that would be set some 20 kilometers offshore, to the U.S. power grid. According to the project, Atlantic Wind Connection will supply enough electricity for 1.9 million households.
Confident about the investment, Google declared, “by putting strong, secure transmission in place, the project removes a major barrier to scaling up offshore wind, an industry that despite its potential, only had its first federal lease signed last week and still has no operating projects in the U.S.”
The project, which involves major construction works, is expected to start in 2013 and it would be completed at the earliest in 2021. Trans-Elect, an independent transmission company is leading the project, while Google and Japanese investor Good Energy are financing it.
[via CNet]
