ACCESS NUMBER: M17PG00000

STUDY TITLE: Offshore Renewable Energy Feasibility Study Across Technology Types for the U.S. Gulf 

of Mexico

REPORT TITLE: Survey and assessment of the ocean renewable energy resources in the US Gulf of 

Mexico

CONTRACT NUMBER: M17PG00012

SPONSORING OCS REGION: Gulf of Mexico

APPLICABLE PLANNING AREA(S): Western, Central, and Eastern Planning Areas

FISCAL YEAR(S) OF PROJECT FUNDING: 2017 to 2020

COMPLETION DATE OF REPORT: February 2020

COSTS: $344,188

PROJECT MANAGER(S): Tessa Greco

AFFILIATION of Project manager: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

ADDRESS: 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, Colorado 80401

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S)*

: Walter Musial, Suzanne Tegen, Rick Driscoll, Paul Spitsen, Owen 

Roberts, Levi Kilcher, George Scott, and Philipp Beiter 

KEY WORDS: Gulf of Mexico, offshore renewable energy, wind, solar, wave, tidal, ocean currents, ocean 

thermal gradients, deep water source cooling, hydrogen, resource potential, technology readiness, 

levelized cost of energy (LCOE), Levelized avoided cost of energy (LACE)

BRIEF ABSTRACT: A range of renewable energy technologies are available and evolving with continued 

opportunities for offshore renewable energy activities in US Federal waters. Renewable energy types 

explored in this survey included offshore wind, wave, tidal, ocean currents, ocean-based solar, ocean 

thermal gradients, and deep water source cooling. The resource capacity for each of these renewable 

energy sources was quantified for both the gross and technical resource capacity potential. The analysis 

found that offshore solar photovoltaics had the greatest gross potential resource but without a 

demonstrable method of surviving extreme waves on the open ocean none of that resource was counted 

toward the technical resource potential. The technical resource of offshore wind for the Gulf of Mexico 

(GOM) is estimated at 638 GW, the largest of any of the technologies examined. Its deployment and 

ability to serve a significant percentage of the load in the GOM is primarily dependent upon improving the 

economics over the next decade. 

BACKGROUND: A variety of technologies currently exist or are under development for utilizing marine 

resources to generate renewable energy in offshore waters. During the last 25 years, offshore wind has 

developed into a major part of the European energy sector, using increased turbine sizes and cutting 

edge technologies, including floating substructures in deeper waters. In the U.S., several commercial 

offshore wind projects are currently in their planning phases and the first 30 MW pilot scale project will 

begin transmitting power in late 2016. A host of other marine renewable energy technologies are in 

various stages of research, development, and testing, including wave, tidal, ocean currents, ocean-based 

solar, ocean thermal gradients, and deep water source cooling. Offshore wind energy technologies have 

significantly evolved since a previous study in the Gulf of Mexico: “Assessment of Opportunities for 

Alternative Uses of Hydrocarbon Infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico” (OCS Study BOEMRE 2011-028), 

and new data show that Gulf States have an abundance of offshore wind resource between 7 m/s and 8 

m/s. Wave power devices extract energy directly from the motion of ocean waves, with a variety of 
ACCESS NUMBER: M17PG00000

technologies proposed to capture that energy, and some undergoing demonstration testing. Ocean 

currents also contain an enormous amount of energy that can potentially be captured and converted to a 

usable form with submerged water turbines that may be deployed on the OCS in coming years. Recent 

innovations in offshore renewables also include offshore solar power plants, and the expansion of ocean 

thermal energy conversion (OTEC) projects.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study is to provide a comprehensive survey across the various types of 

offshore renewable energy technologies and to perform an assessment of their technical, economic, and 

environmental feasibility in the GOM to inform BOEM’s strategic planning.

DESCRIPTION: Available technologies and concepts for generating offshore renewable energy were 

reviewed, including assessing current state of the science and potential for future advances. Renewable 

energy types explored in this survey included offshore wind, wave, tidal, ocean currents, ocean-based 

solar, ocean thermal gradients, and deep water source cooling. The resource capacity for each of these 

renewable energy sources was quantified for both the gross and technical resource capacity potential. 

Current applications and developments were considered based on global experience, including in 

Europe, Asia, other parts of the US, and anywhere that offshore renewables projects are in use or under 

development. This comprehensive survey also considered new information and evolving renewable 

energy designs and technology innovations. This inventory of offshore renewable technologies included 

identification and quantification of marine resource potential, applicable locations and/or depths, existing 

infrastructure needs, environmental impacts, possible grid connection options, availability of local 

supporting infrastructure, and long-term outlooks for expansion. This inventory will then be considered in 

direct application to specific considerations for the Gulf of Mexico to determine the most likely avenues for 

future offshore renewable energy projects in the region.

SIGNIFICANT CONCLUSIONS: The technical resource of offshore wind for the GOM is estimated at 638 

GW, the largest of any of the technologies examined. Its deployment and ability to serve a significant 

percentage of the load in the GOM is primarily dependent upon improving the economics over the next 

decade. Based on global trends, the economics of offshore wind are improving rapidly, making economic 

deployment of offshore wind turbines in the GOM likely by 2030 (DOE 2018) when costs may be 

approaching acceptable market levels. During this timeframe, new offshore wind technologies will be 

needed to optimize energy capture in the lower wind regimes of the GOM, to increase understanding of 

hurricane risk, and to design wind turbines suitable for hurricane-prone areas. 

STUDY RESULTS: The analysis found that offshore solar photovoltaics had the greatest gross potential 

resource but without a demonstrable method of surviving extreme waves on the open ocean none of that 

resource was counted toward the technical resource potential. However, it was noted that there are many 

sheltered sites in state waters that may be suitable for offshore solar that were not evaluated in this study. 

Of all the technologies, offshore wind had the largest quantity of technical resource potential with 638 GW 

covering all GOM states, although Texas and Louisiana show the highest overall technical offshore wind 

resource potential. 

STUDY PRODUCT(S): Technical report:

Musial W, Tegen S, Driscoll R, Spitsen P, Roberts O, Kilcher L, Scott G, and Beiter P (National 

Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, Golden, CO). 2020. 

Survey and assessment of the ocean renewable resources in the US Gulf of Mexico. New Orleans 

(LA): Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Contract No.: M17PG00012. Report No.: OCS Study 

BOEM 2020-017. 

*

P.I.’s affiliation may be different than that listed for Project Manager(s).