Please note!

This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.

Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF

Are offshore wind turbines one of the most expensive ways to generate electricity?

Thursday, July 23, 2020

By Claire Zimmerman

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YES

While wind energy can be cost-competitive with other generation methods, erecting turbines in open water adds significantly to its costs. According to a 2019 analysis of U.S. power usage, electricity generated from offshore wind turbines is among the most expensive sources, along with coal, nuclear and some solar sources. The analysis used "levelized" estimates to compare costs of building and operating different types of generation capacity.

Offshore wind energy is not yet widespread, and forecasts for installation and maintenance are somewhat speculative. A U.S. government agency projects that electricity from new offshore wind capacity coming onstream in 2023, at $106.50 per megawatt-hour after factoring in tax incentives, would be about triple the cost of onshore wind power.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Lazard: Comparative cost of energy, 2019 analysis

US Energy Information Administration: Costs of new generation resources (see p. 7)

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Gigafact

Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

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About fact briefs published on Gigafact

Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.