U.S. Offshore 90-Meter Wind Resource Potential

About the Offshore Wind Resource Maps
The map shows the predicted mean annual wind speeds at 90-m height presented at a spatial resolution of 200 m. Areas with annual average wind speeds of 7 meters per second (m/s) and greater at 90-m height are generally considered to have a wind resource suitable for offshore development. More information on the characteristics and validation methods can be found in Assessment of Offshore Wind Energy Resources for the United States.

Wind Resource Potential
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has produced estimates of the gross (not reduced by environmental or human use considerations) offshore wind potential expressed in "installed capacity." This is the potential megawatts (MW) of rated capacity that could be installed at offshore areas with mean annual wind speeds of 7 m/s and greater at a 90-m height, assuming 5 MW of installed capacity per square kilometer of water. The offshore wind potential tables present the resource broken down by annual wind speed, water depth, and distance from shore.