Let’s put up a few giant wind turbines in the inner harbor.

Submitted by bearjew64 t3_11xh6vr in baltimore

Potentially provocative title, but a recent report says that the energy transmission market on the east coast might be in trouble if we can’t get our renewables online fast enough.

The eastern shore needs to get the offshore industry up and running, obviously. I would much rather see some sweet turbines off the coast than an empty horizon or, more commonly, those giant tankers floating offshore. But OC has been complaining about views…

So, let’s just throw up some giant turbines smack in the middle of the harbor! I think that would be wildly unrealistic but also cool.

You know what they say about no bad ideas!

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Comments

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Quantius t1_jd2yp9j wrote

Initial reaction is f-no, but sometimes what is thought of as an eyesore becomes part of the identity of a place. Eiffel tower, London Eye, both considered distasteful and terrible, now iconic parts of their respective cities. So maybe not a bad idea.

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monkeycat909 t1_jd31khv wrote

Hell yes, love a new/old industrial vibe. Put some google eyes on them and establish a new branch of Mr. Trash Wheel's family tree.

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theyoungbloody t1_jd38c33 wrote

Is the wind current strong enough in the harbor? Isn't one of the reasons they put them so far off shore is because it's the open seas and usually more wind than in a sheltered cove like the harbor?

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dopkick t1_jd39mw3 wrote

Replying to theyoungbloody (#2,291,403)

You're correct in your thinking. Winds are usually much stronger and much more reliable off the coast. If you check a website like Windy with any frequency you'll see a pretty common pattern where the Atlantic is much more suitable for wind turbines. Baltimore is a poor location.

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umbligado t1_jd3amae wrote

Replying to dopkick (#2,291,485)

Yep. People may (understandably) fear the winds on the Key Bridge, but it’s pretty light compared to the rest of the Bay, let alone the ocean. I doubt such a project could break even.

EDIT:

Still appreciate OP’s thought process.

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Beachbum313 t1_jd3ha4k wrote

I’ll say this as someone who is totally in favor of putting up wind turbines and who formally lived in southern New Jersey, an area that had a debate about offshore wind farms before:

The NIMBYs in OC that are bitching and moaning about how “unnatural” it’ll look off the coast sound similar to the ones who are doing it in NJ. How it’ll ruin their “natural views”. You need to drown out that rhetoric fast or any future project will get stalled up hard.

I can guarantee that their tourist dollars would get drained far quicker by an oil platform that goes down Deepwater Horizon-style off their coast than by a few non-polluting windmills. If we want to reduce our dependence on oil and keep it in the ground, EVERYONE needs to contribute, even if someone will claim that it’ll ruin their view of the ocean.

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dolorous_marvin t1_jd3i95t wrote

I wonder if they could suspend the corkscrew style ones into certain alleyways and passively feed into the grid. The row homes can certainly create a wind tunnel. No idea if this is remotely feasible or a practical way to achieve anything of value.

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lightofthehalfmoon t1_jd3kxdh wrote

I think the wind turbines look cool. I love OC, but nobody is going because of its beauty. It's hilarious that the locals are concerned about their "views" when the city is a giant flashing billboard.

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jabbadarth t1_jd3sw72 wrote

Replying to Quantius (#2,290,611)

The view is the least of the problems. Wind turbines in the harbor would produce hardly any electricity. Aside from the lack of consistent wind there just isn't space. Wind farms usually have dozens if not hundreds of turbines each hundreds of yards apart. There isn't enough space for any of that at all in or around baltimore.

I'd much rather see a huge push for solar panels. Grants and subsidies to cover every building in the city would make a much bigger impact.

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bearjew64 OP t1_jd45cqe wrote

Replying to umbligado (#2,291,547)

Yea, this is more of a discussion topic and not a well thought out or scientifically sound proposal.

I saw the update from the MD Senate this morning about the POWER Act and the fact that we might start hitting electricity issues with all of these options available was just frustrating. Maryland needs that sweet sweet clean energy!

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Yankiwi17273 t1_jd4cx96 wrote

Replying to Quantius (#2,293,815)

If carbon neutrality is the aim, idk if that would be a good idea here. Solar panels can be extremely carbon-intensive to make, and in places like here where it is not always sunny, it is iffy whether or not solar panels would be a good carbon investment.

I am personally a fan of the nuclear idea, but I know I am very much in the minority for that view (though maybe not on Reddit idk)

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gothaggis t1_jd4gw2r wrote

i seem to recall a private citizen put up their own small windmill in their backyard...and the city cited them and made them take it down

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