Press Releases
07/16/2020
Offshore Wind Assessment Technology Deployed to Kitty Hawk Wind Energy Area
Offshore Wind Assessment Technology Deployed to Kitty Hawk Wind Energy Area
Offshore Wind Assessment Technology Deployed to Kitty Hawk Wind Energy Area
LiDAR technology provides real-time meteorological data to support project development
Portland, Ore. – July 16, 2020 – Avangrid Renewables is pleased to announce the deployment of cutting-edge offshore wind assessment technology in the Kitty Hawk Wind Energy Area, which has been designated by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for the development of an offshore wind project. The Floating Light Detection and Ranging (FLiDAR) instrumentation buoy uses advanced technology to collect real-time meteorological and ocean data to inform the development of the Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind project in a manner that maximizes compatibility with the ocean environment.
“We are committed to a comprehensive, data-informed approach to harnessing an abundant, low-carbon domestic energy resource in a way that is compatible with the ocean environment,” said Megan Higgins, Avangrid Renewables’ Senior Director, Offshore Business Development. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology has advanced the wind industry globally by informing turbine location based on considerations for the unique environmental needs of each site to make projects more efficient. “Deployment of this technology to the Wind Energy Area is an exciting milestone for a project that will help ignite the nascent offshore wind industry off the coasts of North Carolina and Virginia,” said Higgins.
The FLiDAR WindSentinel buoy is an industry-proven technology developed by AXYS Technologies, Inc., that integrates a LiDAR on a moored buoy to provide data on wind speed, wind direction, and turbulence at the turbine hub-height and across the blade span. This buoy is also equipped with a range of other sensors to measure surface wind speed and direction, relative humidity, directional waves, ocean currents, tide, salinity, water
temperature, atmospheric pressure and air temperature. These measures provide a comprehensive data set of environmental conditions useful for wind resource assessment and wind potential monitoring over time. For real-time data and updates, please visit www.kittyhawkoffshore.com/fishing.
Avangrid Renewables selected the WindSentinel system in part due to its minimal impacts to offshore birds and marine mammals. For example, best management practices have been implemented to minimize landing areas for birds, prevent seals from hauling out on the buoy, and avoid entanglements by marine mammals with the buoy anchor chains.
The buoy will be deployed for one-year with the possibility of an extended time in a second location within the wind energy area. The data collected by the buoy will facilitate the design and development of the Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind project. When complete, Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind is projected to have a capacity of up to 2,500 megawatts, or enough to power approximately 700,000 homes.
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About Avangrid: Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $44 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, Avangrid has two primary lines of business: networks and renewables. Through its networks business, Avangrid owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Through its renewables business, Avangrid owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. Avangrid employs approximately 8,000 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens. In 2024, Avangrid ranked first among utilities and 12 overall. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2024 for the sixth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.
About Iberdrola: Iberdrola is one of the world's biggest energy companies and a leader in renewables, spearheading the energy transition to a low carbon economy. The group supplies energy to almost 100 million people in dozens of countries. With a focus on renewable energy, smart networks and smart solutions for customers, Iberdrola’s main markets include Europe (Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Greece), the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. The company is also present in growth markets such as Japan, Taiwan, Ireland, Sweden and Poland, among others.
With a workforce of nearly 40,000 and assets in excess of €141.7 billion, across the world, Iberdrola helps to support 400,000 jobs across its supply chain, with annual procurement of €12.2 billion. A benchmark in the fight against climate change, Iberdrola has invested more than €130 billion over the past two decades to help build a sustainable energy model, based on sound environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles.
